Double Eagle(科幻战争)-第59章

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Over　the　Midwinters；　19。30
Darrow　climbed　back　into　the　raging　air　brawl。　“I　thought　we’d　lost　you；　Nine；”　Jagdea　voxed。
“Copy　Leader；　I’m　okay。　Marquall’s　been　hit。　I　told　him　to　turn　for　home。”
“Copy　that。”
“Umbra　Lead；　he　got　the　bat。　He　stung　the　white　bat。　Definite　kill。”
Jagdea　rolled　Zero…Two　through　the　streaming　tracer。　That　news　was　the　only　thing　worth
smiling　about　she’d　heard　all　day。
The　sky　was　full　of　aircraft　and　fire；　like　some　great　scene　of　damnation　on　a　templum　frieze。
With　Viltry　turning　high　to　her　left；　she　stooped　into　the　pandemonium　and　started　to　avenge
Blansher。
Lucerna　AB；　21。00
It　was　now　almost　dark；　and　strangely　quiet。　The　third　wave　had　faltered　and　broken　half　an　hour
before；　and　some　gut　instinct　told　Bree　Jagdea　that　there　would　be　no　fourth　wave。　Not　that　day。
The　fitters　had　to　almost　carry　her　out　of　her　battered　Thunderbolt。　Zemmic　and　Van　Tull　had
just　landed。　Van　Tull；　sneezing　blood；　had　lost　a　third　of　one　wing。　Viltry　and　Kaminsky　sat　with
their　backs　to　the　hangar　wall；　drained　of　all　strength。
She　crouched　down　with　them。　She　wanted　to　speak；　but　there　was　nothing　to　say　and　no　effort
left　to　say　it　with　anyway。
Darrow　was　last　back。　He　had　taken　fifteen　of　the　enemy。　A　triple　ace。
He　climbed　out　of　his　aircraft；　dropped　his　helmet　from　his　trembling　fingers；　and　made　the　sign
of　the　blessed　aquila。　The　sacred　double　eagle。
“Commander？”　he　called　out。　“Commander　Jagdea？”
She　rose。　“What’s　the　matter；　Darrow？”
“Where’s　Marquall？”　he　asked。
Over　the　Straits；　21。01
Still　flying　level　and　true；　Thunderbolt　serial　Nine…Nine　Double　Eagle　crossed　the　Straits　of　Jabez　at
six　thousand　metres；　cruising；　with　the　fuel　dwindling　in　its　tanks。　The　ocean　lay　before　it。
Vander　Marquall　sat　in　his　seat；　his　head　hung　forward　slightly。
The　vox　crackled。　“Umbra　Eight？　Umbra　Eight？　This　is　Lucerna　Operations？　Do　you　copy？”
Marquall　did　not　answer。　The　damaged　air…mix　system　had　filled　his　cockpit　with　carbon
dioxide　over　half　an　hour　earlier。
The　plane　flew　on；　true　to　its　nature　at　the　very　last；　out　across　the　ocean　and　into　the　folds　of　the
night。
194
EPILOGUE
No　fourth　wave　came。　Not　that　day　or　any　day。　Though　the　air　war　on　Enothis　continued　for　three
further　weeks；　the　losses　suffered　by　the　Archenemy　air　force　on　the　270th　were　so　severe　that　a
willingness　to　try　such　a　venture　again　seemed　to　leave　them。
The　Battle　of　the　Zophonian　Sea；　as　the　history　texts　now　call　it；　was　not　the　final　fight　of　the
Enothian　War；　but　it　was　the　most　decisive。　In　the　weeks　that　followed；　Lord　Militant　Humel’s
counter…offensive　began　and；　with　reinforcements　from　the　Khan　Group；　the　Imperial　Guard　began
to　strike　back　into　the　south；　into　a　demoralised　enemy。　The　Trinity　Hives　finally　fell；　after　months
of　savage　fighting；　on　the　62nd　day　of　774。M41。　By　that　time；　the　Archenemy　Magister　Sek　had　fled
the　planet。　Records　show　that　the　first　unit　to　breach　the　Trinity　Gates　was　an　armoured　regiment
commanded　by　a　Captain　Robart　LeGuin。
During　the　Battle　of　the　Zophonian　Sea；　Imperial　air　losses　were　nine　hundred　and　forty…eight
compared　to　seven　thousand　eight　hundred　and　forty　confirmed　Archenemy　machines。　Of　the　Navy
wings　involved；　the　highest　kill　tally　per　individual　pilot　was　achieved　by　the　101st　Apostles；　but
three　other　fighter　wings；　including　the　Phantine　XX；　exceeded　the　Apostles’　combined　score　of
kills。
The　records　show　that　Captain　Oskar　Viltry；　a　Marauder　pilot；　was　killed　in　action　in　the　interior
desert　on　the　260th　day　of　the　Imperial　year　773。M41。




　　　　　　　　　　　（The　End）


。　…　。………【gzbysh】整理