Devils Own ( Steampunk and Mystic ) 3.4

3.4

Captain Amos saw the signal from the Berserker. The Attila was with the Hind then engaging the Dreadnaught. They been trading blows and all the ships are damaged, but still floating. He signaled the Third Mate to signal back and focused on the battle. The Hind had lined itself parallel with the Dreadnaught and exchanged fire. It was a suicidal move, but the Attila was earlier in the same parallel path on the starboard side. All the three ships have suffered damages, with the decks littered with bodies. The strategy was to barrage it from both sides, but the plan had changed when the Attila slowed down to hold the stern position. It was a move to bring the Junkyard into the battle. The Junkyard soon reached the height to replace the Attila. The Attila lined up at the stern, and fired its twin twelve pounder at the Dreadnaught. The twelve pounders were doing damages but it was holding up against wider and thicker wall.

“Damn!” Captain Amos cursed out. “They reinforced their hull.”

By then the Junkyard had joined in. She was earlier in the battle with the frigates, and came with the upper hand on the battle. The Junkyard was to join in but a lucky shot by the dreadnaught gunners had pierced the Junkyard balloon during its climb. The shot tore a hole and the balloon was leaking. The Junkyard had to ditch its plan to join in. It signaled the Attila at the stern. Captain Amos saw the signal and looked to the Hind.

“Captain, the Hind is also signaling us. She is leaving the scene too.” The Third Mate reported up.

“Okay”, Captain Amos spoke up but his last word was not soothing. He saw then some of the main riggings of the Hind snapped from the holdings on the deck. With the main riggings shot or snapped, the hull was no longer attached to the balloons. The port side of the hull tilted and exposed the main deck to the dreadnaught cannons. The dreadnaught gunners took their opportunity and ripped up the deck apart.

“Move in. We need to help.” Captain Amos shouted out but the Hind was already beaten. She had limped off to the ground level, with the dreadnaught chalking one more victim alongside with the Junkyard trailing near it. The Mayflower could not join in as they battle the remaining frigates.

The dreadnaught had enough and was sailing off with its mustered speed from the steam engine. Captain Amos will have given chase but his own deck was a mess too.

On the sky, Captain Ernest had been flying sorties on the frigates. He was assisted by the three yachts that were actually lighter dirigibles but fitted with machine guns and bombs. They were swift in the air and causing the frigates considerable damages.

Baron Ernest positioned his flyer on the top of the frigate before he released the three clawed hook. The hook fell on top of the balloon surface. The flyer moved on and soon it found a crack which it could hook on. It was then the Baron attached the two projectiles with the fuses lighted on the chain and watched it sailed down. He then kept pace with the dirigible until the projectiles exploded. The explosion tore a hole in the balloon and soon the frigate was fighting for control on the sky. During that commotion, the yachts will move in for the kill with their machine guns. The Baron was onto his second frigate when he saw the new flyers. It was not like the ones he had seen in the hull, but another design. They were shorter in length and looked like a winged bike with an extended rear but their wings were as wide as the Eagle. The only difference was these wings were swept back and placed back at the rear of the bike. It also held two flyers on it, with a short distance in between them. The one flying the bike was the rear flyer. The front flyer handed the machine gun which was mounted on the fore of the bike. All of them carried the United Continents emblem. He heard of these inventions; an innovation from the winged bike, but they carried more firepower and faster. They were supposed to be in the design stage was what he knew till then. They were nicknamed Pegasus.

There was three of the Pegasus in the skies. Two winged bikers went to assist the frigate while the remainder one intercepted into the Baron’ path. The Baron pulled at his steering tick and dive the Eagle down. He thought his Eagle was fast, but the other flyers were faster. The Pegasus came at the Baron, swerving in random path while avoiding the oncoming machine gun fire.

“Damn!” Baron cursed as he thought he was the best in the sky, but this other flyer was doing better. He had been training in the skill of flying since he first boarded the first dirigible. That was over fifteen years ago, and when the offer came to test the winged bike he jumped to it. He was the pioneer in the test flights and soon he was coaching the young flyers. There were many volunteers but the ones that qualified were few. When the Naval retired him, he joined the Free Traders. He helped them develop more winged bikers, and soon he was the only one who could fly the Eagle. Now there was another who matched him.

“I’ll be darned if you best me.” Baron Ernest cursed at himself. He flew on towards the other. The Pegasus had the sight on the Eagle and the machine gun roared out. The bullets had grazed the Eagle on the wings. The Baron pushed the Eagle to a tight left turn and then spins into a loop to come broadside to the Pegasus. The machine gun on the Eagle spat out, and hit the steam engine of the Pegasus. The Pegasus started spattering on its engine and then the propeller ceased spinning.

“Danke!” Baron Ernest shouted out. He did not see the other Pegasus which had climbed onto his rear. The second Pegasus sighted the Eagle and mowed it from the rear to the fore. Baron Ernest never stood a chance and cursed his last profanity.

Baron Ernest was bested in the battle.