Ugly 1 Part 4

4

I walked into the launch area dressed in my new uniform. It also carried the rank of Commander on the sleeve. I been promoted to my new position on the achievement of mine at Qaurdrant Q. Now I am in command of my own Scimitar Squad. No more second in command and running on the side to listen to orders. I run the new squad; they are named UGLY GETZ as in whatever ugly mission, its for us to do. I kept my ‘Cecilia’ but I got new recruits; new as in they just joined UGLY GETZ. Of the five in my squad, four are from remanants of previous squad; demoted pilots or problematric ones. Or the only one left in the squad. They stand out well on launch pad area, as they come in all shapes and moods.

First Officer Girard Monrail; previously of Apollo Team Carrier Five; demoted from Lieutenant Commander to First Office for msiconduct. He was sleeping in his quarters during the attack on the Fleet. He was too drunk to wake up.

Senior Pilot Gerry Paul; previously of Squid Team, Carrier Five, before they kicked him out for reckless flying and insurbodination. I liked that as he is my kind of pilot. He is also my Wingman.

Senior Gonzlaes Pedro; no misspelling there, its his name. He was previously of Zeus, Carrier Three but could to find ayone take him as team mate, so they offered him free transfer to any fleet. Some said he was previously a pirate in GEMA Quadrant; sold out the fleet.

Senior Maryanne Luis; previously of Recon Carrier One now send to Combat as she is always sneaking into Scimitars for patrol. Her only desire is killing those bastards who killed my baby in Colony 45.

Pilot Lauran Lin; newly Combat Academy graduate and crashed two Scimitars in one week on active duty. No squad wants her, but I took her on. She is a brilliant strategist in her class of ‘‘93. Could had gone for Intel but she likes to fly and crash.

My new squad of uglies and no one wants them. I paired them in random. I told them fly out there and select your position and wingman. They did after three tries and some comms conversation not be to be recorded. Now Girard aka Apollo flies with Gonzlaes aka Zeus, Maryanne aka Recon and Lauran aka ‘93. I fly with Gerry aka No.1. Gerry loves that call sign as he figures they will come for him first.

Our standard mission is to came out quick; recon over Quadrant when the Fleet comes out of the Jump. We are to patrol to the stern of the Fleet and make sure no Lions comes in on the Fleet. We all being briefed on the new stealth tech of the Lions but the Intel has counter measure in place. They called it NOS, for Non Stealth. Trust Intel to come up with a name and it will mean nothing unless you can crack it first. So all Scimitar are installed with NOS including mine.

We took off on the cue when the Fleet arrived. I took off first, followed by No.1, Apollo and Zeus, then Recon and ‘93. ‘93 flies last out for reason she is new and if she crashed, we are all out there. So no worries of us dying with her if she crashed on takeoff. I gave them the coordinates and flight pattern. Unlike other squads who likes to cluttered, I split mine to pairs and gave them specific areas. Each of the pairs patrolled their own areas, and if the call comes, we will matched up.

‘No.1, you can take point and sweep the horizon. I will watch your aft, and don’t throw any bad smoke on me.’ Now I loved No.1, as he is flying in random pattern but conserving fuel without undue acceleration. He is gunning the engine, but he keeps it throttling for the rush if its called.

‘Recon, your status.’ I know she is twenty degree off my port and below. She should be doing fine for her craft. In fact, all their crafts are the new Scimitar V.35 with the new engine and newly designed wings. Mine is the older Scimitar V.20 but I have the gun power in her. She is fitted with the four cannons, while those new ones has three gun in a triangular setup. Its designed that wasy for the cannons to tear a hole when hitting the target, while mine peels them like fruit skins on a doubkle blade splice.

‘Ugly, we are on the pitch and the batter are not showing.’ I knew Recon used to drive her son to the BAT’s game. Sadly he died so young or his mum would be able to see him become a pitcher today.

‘Apollo, bar’s open.’ I know of Apollo obessions, but he told me he was set up that day. The Commander fixed his drink and thought he would be slamed for missing the patrol. But he did not expect the Commander not to make it back. So was most of his peers. His excuse was rejected and his record was smeared. No one remembers your heroic acts, only your disgraceful ones.

‘Drinks are slow in coming, but we might not see much tonight.’

But I was wrong; they did come in. They came in on the other side; about three packs of Lions totalling twenty five crafts, cutting the perimeter open like melted butter on a hot dry day. The Fleet dispatched off three squads to deal with them, and we were asked to recon with the new squads.

‘Fleet, I beg to differ. We are cosy here and will like to spend the time cruising.’ I never heard the Admiral to be so vocal in his selection. I got back on my squad comms bandwidth; ‘watch for boogies. I am sure they will sneak in from the back windows.’

‘Ugly, we got readings. Twenty of them on my NOS coming in fast.’ That was Recon.

‘Okay, we do it by the numbers. And its called random pick. If you see them, take them down. I will radio the Fleet.’ I changed my bandwidth and told Fleet. The reply I got was expected; do ye worst.

I saw them coming in on my port and below. I pedalled in the thruster and dive for them with cannons blazing. I saw the missiles from No.1 and he got positive on both shots. He was then on my stern blazing with his cannons. We took down five of them that run, and we swerve back, I can see Recon chasing one which his tail smoking. Her cannons ripped off those main thrusters like paper strips.

Her wingman was doing a chicken run on the other. I sympathise with the Lion, for he may had found his match. At the last moment the Lion pulled out and ‘93 took his tail off her levelled cannons. I wouldn’t do try to the chicken run with ’93; she is one crazed babe.

Zeus was merciless as he gunned down two Lions in a row by flying at them. So was his wingman Apollo; they switched position and did the works well regardless. We cleared off eight of them, while two went through to be splattered into the side of the Carrier cannons. Two of the Lions turned tail and ran for their base. We wanted to pursuit but Fleet called us to come back. We won the skirmish but lost five of the pilots on the other battle. The twenty five crafts did not come close to the fleet, they just hit and ran for base; avoiding the new squads.

When we landed, ‘‘93 and Zeus got a rundown from the Tech Head for their flying. His words as I quote; ‘the next time you scratch this crafts, I will have you paint them scratches with your fingers.’ That is what he said to me everytime I come back from patrol.

Since we formed as a squad, I have not really met my squad in their free time. So I decided to join them in the mess. After some formalities, we sat down for a card game. And I lost my bets to them, and even my command for the next patrol. Zeus will take command in my place. And that was my first regret.

We were called to patrol the area ahead of Fleet’s arrival. The Carrier was doing some maintenance works and the whole Fleet stopped for it. But patrols were sent out to recon and ours was one. We arrived at the coordinates in formation.

‘Zeus, the command is yours. Take the lead and show us how you pirates do it.’

‘Yea, you hurt my feelings, Ugly. I ought to sent you my collection of bones to show which of your ancestors fought mine.’ We all laughed at his humour and we took our rides. Then the comms broke open with a distress call. Its from a nearby asteroid field.

‘I know those calls. They are pirates and setting up a trap there. Their ships will be clinging on the asteroids like leeches and when you come there, they hit at you before you can say hello.’ I know those deceptions, and the asteroids they cling on are barren rocks which sometimes distort the readings. Before I can call in command, Zeus was off with all thruster on. Apollo followed suit as wingman. I called on Recon and ‘93 to swing to the far side of the asteroids with specific instructions while No.1 and myself followed Zues from a distance. I saw Zeus goes in to the asteroid fields followed by Apollo. We were following behind with less than two nodes by thruster. And all hell broke loose on the comms.

‘Zeus, they are behind us and around us. We will fight it out.’ Then I heard Zeus shouting;’ Get out, Apollo. You are ...’ and I heard was static. And then the flashes of fire and sounds of explosions. Both No.1 and myself swung into action, catching three small crafts tailing a Scimitar. We let loose our rounds and blew them to smittens. Then I saw the Scimitar belongs to Zeus.

‘Break out, and reformed outside the field now.’ We did as per my instruction. ‘Zeus, where is Apollo?’

‘I dunno. He was there and then gone.’ I broke comms with him and contact Recon.

‘Yes, we found her. She is here. Coordinates send to you now.’

‘Okay, squad. Time to playback the odds. Go to these coordinates and send them our love.’ The three Scimitar swerve to port and flew in with main thrusters on. We saw the Pirate Mother Ship behind the large asteroid. Recon and ‘93 joined and we gave them the best of our regards. We blasted the hull with so many holes that she broke into three portion. And the small crafts of hers were all left with no ship to dock in. We pulled back to regroup and was to fly home when we saw a Scimitar coming in.

Its Apollo, and he signalled us he is alright. On landing, Apollo told us he was chased by three mini crafts and they shot out his comms antenna. He flew away to pulled them away from Zeus. In the chase, he zig zag his way through the astreroid field causing two of the mini crafts to crashed. The last one gave up chase and went back to the base. That was when he found his way out and traced us by the thruster leftover trail. I regretted zeus action could had caused me a pilot, and never was I place any bets on my command again.

But it was not to be on Centaur IV, when we were send to do planet surface recon; the physical walking and stalking method.

‘UGLY GETZ on the prowl.’ I looked at the squad all dressed in camouflage to suit this forest area, and armed in the PK-450 rifle. But they armed it with Grenade Launcher this time. We came in on three double seater Scimitar and flew in on low levels to reach the coordinates. There we landed on vertical gears in the forest clearing and covered the crafts with the camouflage blankets. I told ‘93 and Zeus to do guard on the crafts while the rest of them followed me. As combat pilots we do sometime get volunteered for such duties when the normal team are on other missions. Today our mission is recon of a forward base of the enemy and report activities. No contact is to be established unless provoked.

And on this backwater planet, anything is provoking including the reptiles inhabitants here; they disliked to be stepped on or woke up on their nap. And according to Intel, these reptiles are mostly poisonous and nasty. The later I know now, and the former, I am trying to avoid.

But easier said than done. I was on my front looking at the base. I read the numbers to Apollo while he records them. Recon is holding the flank with No.1 covering us from a distance with his modified PK-450 on a long barrel. It was then when I finished the last count, a nasty looking fanged reptile was in my sight. I managed to roll aside, but it got its bite into my left shoulder, biting through the combat jacket. Damn! It hurts like those burning rods of Conto. Apollo was quick to snapped the head off the reptile and watched its grey liquid for blood oozing out. Apollo gabbed the Medic Aid and removed the Injector. Its the miracle drug of all poison known to us. The Injector went into my neck and that hurt more than the bite. All I can remember was the bite then.

I don;’t know what the best to do; a bullet in the head or the Injector. But he is out of circulation now. I looked at Recon and told her to take our flank. I slipped the commander on my shoulder and carried him. I ran through the same path we took earlier doing our best that the legs can do. No.I joined me and offered to carry the Commander. I shooked my head and ran on with the injured man on my shoulder. It was then, the patrol stumbled on us. I mean stumbled as I literally ran into them; a small patrol of four guards crossing our path, or ours on theirs. But they were stun to see me and the injured commander. They were taken down by Recon and No.I before they can react. Both those two had their PK-235 drawn for close quarters.

I ran on feeling my legs about to give way, and so I had to lowered him down. The other two joined me and took flank cover position for any firefight. I was a trained medic before I joined Combat Piloting, so I tried to recall my training. I looked at the wound and see its swelling big, and looked nasty. Bloody Injector did not work on this bite. I grabbed the Medic Aid and extracted the Wrist Administer. I put it on and let it run its juice into me. Then I grabbed the Commander and threw him on my back. I left my other equipment behind except the recorder. Then I ran again for the crafts while Recon and No,1 takes flank again.

There it was when the shots came in from the flanks. I did not turned to looked but I think Recon and No.1 are laying cover fire. I was not ready to dropped the Commander to play hero as I ahd no rifle then. I left it with the Commander’s at the last location. I just continue my pace while the shooting went on behind me. I heard explosions and more shots.

Then I reached the crafts and saw ‘93 and Zeus had removed the camouflage blanket. Zeus is now laying cover fire from the craft. At this level, you can see the effect of the cannons on their target. It ripped the trees off their trunks and branches even before the leaves hit the ground. I felt no sympathy for the reptiles caught in the crossfire as they were not going to fed on by the others as there was nothing left to feed on. I dropped the Commander onto the rear seat of the Scimitar and jumped into the pilot seat. I rev up the engine and engaged the vertical lift off. I could see Apollo joining Zeus while Recon is lifting her Scimitar with ‘93 in it. We all closed our cockpit cover and flew up.

‘Missiles on the aft. Countermeasures released and we are going home.’

I hit atmosphere in record time and reached for the comms; ‘Git Medic on the landing bay. I am coming in hot.’

The Medic told me I was lucky to have reached in time. Or it would had been ugly for me. I asked who brought me back and they said it was the squad.

When I asked the squad, they all owned up as a team. I guess I got my UGLY GETZ in their places. Sadly the Intel told us the details were not acceptable as we should had got in closer to the base. Apollo spend three days in the Brig for his reaction on the Intel officer. They send in another squad; this time the Marines and they never returned. So we were called in again, and we went in with six Scimitar and in one sweep we took the base out for good.

No more intel was required after that. Its one large water hole for reptiles now.