“Umbra Two； Lead。 I see vapour trails at three。”
“Got it； Two。 The bastards are coming across above us。 Weapons live； flight。 Get ready to climb
like hell。”
Five specks。 No； six。 Small。 Razors； perhaps。
“On my mark… three； two； mark！”
The three pilots opened their throttles and heaved on their sticks； swinging the heavy
Thunderbolts up and away from the forest hood into the clear sky。 Jagdea could see the hostiles
plainly now。 Six Locusts in cruise formation。
Umbra was climbing as hard as their turbofans would allow； pressed firmly back in their seats。
The bats appeared not to have seen them yet； but that would change very soon。 Jagdea settled her
hand around the stick grip； placing her thumb carefully on the fire stud。
Intercept in ten seconds； nine； eight…
Suddenly； startled like the birds that their jets had scared out of the treetops； the bats broke； their
formation exploded。
But Umbra was already committed。
“Divide and conquer；” Jagdea instructed。
She went straight up into the heart of the splitting pack； choosing a Locust that was vivid amber
and striped with gold。 It was already turning out； but she had fine lead time。 She banked slightly and
let it fly into her sights。
Squeeze。
Electric blue； the las…bursts zapped away from her nose cone。 She let off three pairs of shots； and
it was the second that caught the Locust squarely。 Pieces of its hull flew off in a puff of smoke； and
it flopped over on its back。 Fire began to rush out of its underbelly； and it described a long； laboured
dive down into the rainforest。 Jagdea saw a flash deep beneath the thick canopy； and smoke and
steam broiled up out of the trees。
Blansher’s chosen target； a bright blue machine with vile yellow insignia； evaded his first blasts；
and managed a fine power dive under Blansher’s trajectory that Umbra Two couldn’t hope to
follow。 Blansher swung around and started to chase a copper…coloured Locust that was fleeing
south。 He came up； but the Locust was extending fast。 The small enemy machines had a terrific turn
of speed and climb rate。 Blansher cursed； broke off and rolled back into the brawl。
Cordiale was locked onto a crimson bat that was trying to shake him by diving towards the
forest。 Accepting the invitation； Cordiale stooped； chasing the red speck into the green bosom of the
forest。 Levelling out at the tree…tops； the bat began to jink and switch； and Cordiale had to stand his
plane on one wingtip and then the other to stick fast。 He punched off a shot； missed； corrected and
fired again。
Another miss。
“Tricksy little bastard…” Cordiale muttered； wrenched back and forth by the centrifugal force of
the constant turns。
Above him； Jagdea was hunting down her second scalp。 She had her eyes on a yellow bat that
was breaking west； but abruptly rolled out as she heard a shrill lock warning。 The blue Locust
Blansher had lost on his first pass was on her back。 It fired twice； gleaming streamers of bolter fire；
but she dodged out of line each time and finally managed to throw it by hitting her speed brakes and
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viffing almost to a standstill。 The blue hostile ripped by under her starboard wing； realised he’d been
dummied； and broke right and high。 Jagdea screwed over to follow its climb。
The yellow bat had decided not to run after all； and had executed a vector turn high above；
dropping in like an arrow to find a target。 It had missed its chance with Jagdea； so it went for
Cordiale； who was still locked in the chase at the leaf…line with the crimson Locust。
It hadn’t even seen Blansher。
Umbra Two fell on it from above and behind； quad cannons alight。 The Locust shuddered
painfully； its hull deformed by the stresses of the multiple impacts； and then blossomed like a flower
into bright； radial petals of burning； expanding gas。
At about the same moment； a thousand metres higher up； Jagdea managed to pull off the most
perfect Ziegner turn； witnessed by no one； and came in true on the blue bat as it attempted one final
slice…roll to port。
Her grouped shots ripped out its nose； then wrenched off a wing…section。 As it began to wobble；
she fired a third burst that hit the Locust directly under the cockpit mount on the port side。 The
entire cockpit assembly exploded。 An ejector system must have fired； because she clearly saw a
burning object fly straight up out of the stricken bat and then fall away like a meteor。 Empty； ruined；
its pilot already incinerated； the Locust folded up and rained down onto the forest as a hundred
thousand burning scraps。
Two of the remaining bats had now fled south on full burn。 The last live target was the crimson
one that Cordiale was pursuing over the trees。
“Need assist？” Blansher voxed； rolling down。
“Negative； Two。 Negative。 I’ve got him。 Tricksy little bastard。”
Flying at zero over the canopy at close on four hundred kph； Cordiale whooped as he finally got
a fleeting lock tone。 He opened up。
At precisely the same moment； his target’s shock…wash scared a flock of pink birds out of the
trees。 Cordiale flew smack into them。 They hit his plane like cannon shells。 Plating fractured。 The
canopy smashed。 One engine shrieked as feathered missiles clogged the intakes and buckled the
whirring fans。 There was a mist of blood。
“Shit！” they heard Cordiale yell。
Jagdea and Blansher were already sweeping down after him。 They both witnessed the odd； pink
flare of organic debris as his machine mowed into the flock。 Cordiale had hit the crimson Locust；
and it had promptly crashed at high speed into the trees。
But none of them cared about that now。
“Cordiale！” Jagdea screamed。
Umbra Eleven； hammered； one engine totalled； tried to correct； faltered and hit the trees。
“Cordiale！ Cordiale！” Blansher could hear Jagdea yelling over the vox。
Suddenly； almost impossibly； Umbra Eleven reappeared； splashing out of the torn and thrashing
greenery like a flying fish out of an ocean swell。 Cordiale had managed； against the odds； to keep
the nose up； and had ripped through the upper foliage of the canopy mass without striking a primary
trunk。
He began to climb； pouring a nail of brown smoke out of his port engine that soon turned white。
“Umbra Eleven？”
“Still here； Lead。 Bastard bloody birds。”
Nineteen minutes later； they settled back at the FSB。 Blansher and Jagdea had nurse…maided
Cordiale’s buckled； limping Bolt all the way home。
The camo…shrouds drew back； exposing the matt…deck hardstands like sockets in the green
wilderness。
The three Thunderbolts switched to vertical vector and sank gently onto their stands。 As their
fans powered down； the shimmer netting folded back over them。
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As soon as her stand controller gave her the hand signal for okay； Jagdea yanked out her vox and
air plugs； climbed out of her cockpit and jumped down onto the vulcanised mat。 She tossed her
helmet to the nearest fitter and ran out of the launch area along the decking under the trees。
She reached Cordiale’s pad around the same time as Blansher。 Umbra Eleven； venting steam and
coiling plumes of vapour； was a mess。 The canopy was wrecked and the nose armour pummelled。 A
team of fitters was spraying retardant foam into the clogged； burning engine。 The fore…part of the
Thunderbolt was a mass of sticky black blood and tattered feathers。
Cordiale was climbing down。 He was shaking。 One bird carcass had punched through his canopy
so hard it had smashed his visor and given him a black eye。
He took off his helmet； dropped it； and wiped the treacly blood from his face。 Then he squinted
round at Jagdea and Blansher as they came up to him。
“Mental note；” he said； wagging a finger at Jagdea。 “Avoid birds wherever possible。”
“Will do；” she smiled。
Cordiale reached around to the nose of his aircraft and peeled a pink feather out of the sticky
mass plastered across it。
He held it up。
“Lucky feather； anyone？”
Lake Gocel FSB； 16。42
The scops were killing him。 He’d signed up to fight the Archenemy of mankind； not microscopic
flies。 Everywhere he went； they surrounded him； unseen； filling his ears with a hiss like a tuned…out
vox。
His back was sore。 He’d tried not to scratch； but…
Marquall wandered down to the lake shore； wondering if the filthy things would leave him alone
out in the open。 It didn’t seem to help。
The lake’s beach was muddy and dimpled。 Behind him； the dense rainforest rose like a rotting
curtain。 The sun was beginning to sink； turning the sky as rose…pink as Cordiale’s lucky bloody
feathers。
The lake was immense。 It occurred to Marquall that he’d never seen a lake before。 Standing
water； that was a novelty。 It was kind of like looking out across the Scald from the ports of a
Phantine hive； except that it was so flat。 So sheer。 The vast green mirror had not changed colour as
the sun set； but it had altered tonally。 It was murky now； heavy； still。
Slip…snakes danced across its surface tension。
Marquall wondered if he should go check on his bird； but the last time he’d seen Nine…Nine； two
Navy Sentinels； fitted out with paint tanks and wash guns in place of the regular lifting claws； had
been half…way through spraying it green。
Marquall knelt at the shore line； and dipped his arms into the water。 It was warm。 He cupped his
hands to wash his face。
“Don’t do that； you cretin。”
Marquall looked over his shoulder。 The ayatani was sitting on a promontory of rock behind him；
his blue robes gathered about him。
What was his name again？ Kautas； was it？
“Why shouldn’t I？” Marquall asked。
“No reason。 Go right ahead。”
Marquall let the water fall out of his fingers and rose； wiping his hands dry on the legs of his
trousers。 “Come on。 Tell me。”
“Baroxyin Biroxas；” said the priest。
“Which is？”
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“A microscopic water wyrm。 The lake is lousy with them。 If they enter the bloodstream； say
through the mouth or nose or tear ducts； they infest the brainstem； multiplying at a prodigious rate；
bursting blood vessels； severing neural pathways and eventually causing such related symptoms as
an inability to remember your own name； an inability to speak； an inability to regulate your own
bowel movements and an inability to live。”
“Okay；” Marquall said。
“Just so you know。”
“I was trying to wash off the… t