Sideshow Alley Read online

  Eric cursed and Tiddles shook his head, shocked by the news. The Legion fighters renewed their vigour and showed no mercy as they ripped through the remaining enemy until at last the few surviving Lizard craft were recalled, moments before their Carrier jumped back into hyperspace. There were no shouts of victory or jubilation, just a hollow feeling in the pit of the fighters’ stomachs as they watched the enemy Carrier shimmer and disappear. Three other crews had perished as well—a small price to pay for such a decisive victory, but one that left a sour taste in the mouths of the surviving crews.

  As the fighters returned to the Carrier Eric relinquished command of Delta Squadron to his Second-in-Command and waited for Alpha Squadron to go aboard before going on last. For both Eric and Tiddles it seemed strange assuming Kyla’s old position. It was as if it were hallowed ground—and the heat from the dust of their good friends not yet cold.

  It didn’t help that he had foreseen trouble, but now with the mantle of Alpha Leader on his shoulders for only a short time Eric found it hard to criticise the tactics used by Kyla and Colin. They had put themselves on the line in order to draw heat from the rest of Alpha Squadron and it had worked—but at such a price.

  Even though Kyla had spurned his advances his heart still grieved for her along with her Weapons Officer, whom he had once loathed so much, but had come to secretly admire. Together they had been Alpha One, growing and moulding into that position against all odds. No doubt their fate would be revealed by Command when they reviewed all available data on the battle.

  As they walked out of the hangar Eric saw how affected Tiddles was and clamped a hand on his shoulder.

  ‘You joined up with him, didn’t you?’

  ‘Yes,’ Tiddles replied, thinking about his friend, his mother, sister and their lawn back home that it seemed would never get cut.

  The usual ‘Well Done’ came over the P.A. along with the news of a debriefing in the mess straight after lunch, following that came the call for all One Red Weapon Officers to report to Battle Command.

  Although still numb from the shock of losing his friend, Tiddles ran down the corridor, anxious to see if Command could shed any light on Colin’s demise.

  Once inside, the Colonel addressed them.

  ‘Thank you for joining us, Gentlemen. Well today the Lizards threw everything they had at us to try and catch us unaware. It would have worked too, had it not been for the efforts of both the old and new Alpha crews. Now you can see why it is so necessary to stay one jump ahead in our preparedness against such a foe, who seek only to kill and destroy us. That is your legacy, to maintain the rage against them.’

  Turning to Tiddles he said, ‘You have some big shoes to fill. How do you think you’ll go?’

  ‘Today has certainly taken the fun out of the game. From now on the fight will be more personal,’ he replied, matter-of-factly.

  ‘That’s the spirit! But don’t let it eat you away—remember, you have your new squadron to think about as well as the overall command of the others. So don’t do anything foolish out there. Now are there any questions about today?’

  ‘Of course—what happened to Alpha One?’ Tiddles asked, and the others waited eagerly for his response.

  ‘Yes, well… we don’t quite know as yet, although we can confirm the other three craft as casualties at this time.’

  ‘How soon before you know?’ Tiddles persisted.

  ‘Rest assured, when we know you’ll have your answer. That’s all for now—I’ll see you along with the rest of the crews after lunch.’

  When they had left the Command Centre the Colonel joined the Team Leaders in scrutinizing the last footage taken of Alpha One as it seemingly tumbled from space.

  The news that Command wasn’t ready to concede Alpha One’s demise took the certainty out of it and created confusion instead. The fact remained that no one saw them get hit or go down. They definitely weren’t in space and if Kyla had made it to the planet below, that equated life. Another mystery too, was the fact that the Lizard who followed them down hadn’t resurfaced. Logically Alpha One may have accounted for it.

  The debriefing after lunch only fuelled such speculation—the Colonel still not willing to write them off.

  ‘What we’ll do is deploy a drone to take footage of the planet below and see what’s down there before drawing conclusions,’ he said, ‘meanwhile, if it does turn out that they have indeed come to grief, I want you to show your new Alpha team the same respect you have shown Colin and Kyla in their short tenancy. That’s what they would have wanted.’

  Talk about Alpha One’s fate eclipsed that of the battle in the mess that night. Colin’s mates sat around dejectedly until the girls dragged Jimmy and Barry away. Pee Wee went back to the poker tables, while Dave sat and watched. On Eric’s table the mood was also one of loss and it seemed to Sami that the only fighters getting tatts that night were the older ones who were hardened against such things as they added the latest battle to the Redemption’s honour roll.

  The film that night was all but forgotten, but when the credits rolled the room swelled with people eager to catch a glimpse of the action that day, and anything that might throw light on Alpha One’s fate.

  The Lizard fighter kept its distance as the two craft descended throughout the layers of Verdi’s atmosphere. The Legion fighter ahead of him was still capable of firing, but once it was down it would be a stationary target.

  Kyla may have lost the ‘send and receive’ signal for the Battle Screen, but she still had the basic navigational screen on the VDU, courtesy of the fighter’s inbuilt probe. She studied the terrain in front of her and chose what looked to be a built-up area on a peninsula, nudging her craft as close as possible to the settlement in the hope there would be someone in the vicinity that could help them. Colin followed her progress while keeping the Lizard at bay with short, sharp bursts of fire.

  ‘Make sure you grab your side-arm,’ Kyla warned, moments before landing hard in the sand. Once down, they slid the canopies forward and jumped from their craft as the Lizard fighter screamed in. They threw themselves behind a rise and kept on rolling as the first rocket hit, sending shrapnel overhead. On regaining their legs they ran for cover—laser fire following them as they zigzagged towards the first building and entered. It was a shell of an abode, gutted in some previous fighting.

  ‘This is no good—they know we’re in here. We have to keep moving,’ Colin yelled. They gained the safety of the next, just as the previous one exploded with rocket fire. He held her hand as they hugged the shadows in an effort to escape. Behind them they could hear a high-pitched whine.

  ‘They’re landing!’ Kyla exclaimed.

  ‘Good,’ Colin said, ‘now they’ve lost the advantage of firepower.’

  He looked around for some high ground so they could observe what the Lizards were up to. It seemed they were going over the wreckage of Kyla’s craft, not that there was much left, for proof of their kill. One looked up and saw his head silhouetted against the skyline, causing a flurry of words between the Lizards. One gave chase, while the other stayed to guard their craft.

  ‘Have you ever used a side-arm before?’ Kyla asked.

  ‘No, never,’ Colin confessed.

  ‘Switch it on and set the power to maximum, then point and press the button.’

  ‘There’s just the one following, he should be easy enough to take,’ Colin said.

  They kept him in sight while looking around for suitable cover and then Kyla went ahead to act as a decoy, stumbling when the lone Lizard came into view. He rushed forward in an attempt to capture her and ran past Colin’s hiding place, not seeing him, just feeling the power of his side-arm moments before he died.

  Colin took the Lizard’s weapon and joined Kyla.

  ‘What now?’ she asked.

  ‘Perhaps you could create a diversion here while I circle around and catch the other one unawares.’

  ‘And just how do I do that?’

  ‘By firing yo
ur weapon and then his—make as much noise as you can, that way the other Lizard will think his partner is still alive.’

  He reached over and kissed her before taking off, the spasmodic sound of battle behind him as he crouched low and kept to the shadows while circling the last Lizard.

  He found him still sifting over the remains of the Legion fighter, stopping occasionally to scan the area between him and the weapons exchange. Colin waited for just such a moment and walked up behind him, careful not to cast a shadow, and then blasted him without warning. He cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled out to Kyla. The firing ceased and was replaced by the sound of running feet. On arrival she stopped to view the carnage before embracing him.

  ‘I wonder how the battle went,’ she said.

  ‘As planned I expect. We were the only weak link.’

  ‘And now we’re stuck here.’

  ‘Maybe not—just how good a pilot are you?’

  Kyla’s jaw dropped, ‘What? After all I did to get us this far and you still question my credentials?’ she fumed.

  Colin jerked a thumb towards the Lizard craft, ‘Do you think you can fly one of these?’

  She looked over and saw what he meant.

  ‘If a Lizard can do it, surely I can. Although the hardest part would be getting it onto a Legion Carrier,’ she added, and burst into laughter at the idea.

  ‘If I thought of a way though, would you do it?’

  ‘Sure, but we’ve only just got to this tropical paradise and you want to go home already,’ she said, taking hold of his arm.

  ‘You’re truly a wicked woman. You must have been a Lemur in a previous life,’ Colin said, as he kissed her. ‘Let’s explore the beach and see if there isn’t some suitable accommodation—just in case we have to spend the night.’

  ‘You know we never did get to see a sunrise onboard,’ Kyla said, demurely.

  The two walked hand in hand along the beach, stopping to search all of the buildings along the way until finally finding one that had remained relatively intact. There was food in the larder, both tinned and preserved, and fresh linen in the cupboards. Kyla set about making the place habitable, if only for a night, while Colin went about the task of dragging bits of timber and driftwood together—piling them high on the beach ready to torch later.

  When Kyla finished she went outside to join him, the fierce midday sun beating down on both.

  ‘My, but I could use a shower right about now,’ she said.

  ‘No water?’ Colin asked. Kyla shook her head. He investigated and found a small tank at the rear of the shack, its water fit for drinking.

  ‘I guess there is only one thing for it,’ he said, stripping down to his trunks on the hot sand, ‘will you join me?’

  ‘Are you serious, in the sea water?’ Kyla said, incredulous.

  ‘Why not, we do it all the time on Earth?’ Colin informed her.

  ‘You’re sure?’

  She stepped out of her coveralls and footwear, leaving her t-shirt on until last.

  Colin picked her up and waded out as she kicked and screamed in protest. On reaching chest-high water, he floated her while holding on. She gradually relaxed and he let go, pushing her closer to shore where she could stand by herself.

  ‘How come I float?’ she asked, amazed.

  ‘Because of the salt content in the water—it’s no good to drink, but excellent to swim in. The salt is also a good healing agent.’

  They frolicked in the shallows for awhile, diving beneath the water to refresh themselves before regaining the beach.

  ‘Say, were there any towels inside?’ Colin asked.

  ‘I’m sure there was, let’s take a look.’

  They found some in the linen cupboard and took a stack into the living room, where Colin stripped down to dry himself off. Kyla followed suit and dried Colin’s back for him, while he did hers. They stopped what they were doing to embrace. Afterwards Kyla took his hand and led him through to the bedroom and the Zylon love nest she had built there. At last they could lie together to express their love with no eyes or constraints upon them.

  They stayed there for the rest of the afternoon, only leaving it briefly while Colin searched the larder again. This time he found a candle and book of matches.

  ‘I’m glad you know what these things are for, we don’t use them on Zylon.’

  ‘That’s alright, you’re always going to know things that I don’t as well,’ he said, kissing her.

  They returned to their love nest and didn’t emerge again until just before dawn, when Colin set fire to the pile of wood on the beach. They sat beside it wrapped in a blanket each while watching overhead for the first sign of dawn.

  ‘This is fantastic. I’ve never done anything like this in my life,’ said Kyla.

  ‘Back home there are people who get to do this most weekends.’

  ‘Did you?’

  ‘Not really—only once or twice.’

  ‘We’re due for rotation in eight days time. Hopefully we can do this all over again.’

  ‘That’s assuming we’re not shot down by our own fighters,’ Colin reminded her.

  ‘Have you given it any thought?’

  ‘Yes, I think I have the answer. We’ll find out in a few hours time.’

  He threw his blanket on the ground and then reached for her, the two making love again before laying together as dawn broke over the strange land. Afterwards they slept for a few hours and bathed on waking before going off in search of salvation.

  Colin knew what he was looking for. He cast an eye over the buildings about looking for ones that were painted and had outbuildings. It wasn’t long before he had what he wanted—white paint and brushes.

  ‘What are they for?’

  Colin explained that he was going to use the paint to write a message on the wings of the Lizard fighter.

  ‘So what are you going to put?’

  ‘I’ve been giving it some thought. Eric and Tiddles will be Alpha One by now. So it’s got to be something Tiddles would question and also the Colonel.’

  ‘Okay, let’s do it,’ Kyla agreed.

  The fighter crews aboard the Carrier woke to the reality that they may never see their friends again. After breakfast a eulogy was held for the three dead crews, but the Colonel was still unwilling to concede without a doubt, that Kyla and Colin were lost. His persistence in the face of cold logic and fact led some to believe he was in denial, however towards midday alarm bells started to ring in Battle Command. A single Lizard fighter had appeared on their navigational screen from the planet below them.

  The Colonel pounded the desk in front of him and reached for the P.A.

  ‘Now hear this, now hear this! This is not an exercise, Alpha Squadron to your fighters now! I repeat—this is not an exercise, Alpha Squadron to your fighters now!’

  He become agitated and moved about the room, stopping in front of the navigational screen for the umpteenth time to confirm the intentions of the approaching Lizard fighter.

  ‘What’s its speed?’

  ‘It’s coming in slow,’ Tom confirmed, ‘do you think we should deploy a drone?’

  ‘Are you crazy? Those Lizards eat drones for breakfast! Get the fighters out there to have a look.’

  The Colonel went over to the radio, ‘Alpha One, tell me when you’re out.’

  Moments later Eric replied, ‘Battle Command, this is Alpha One, we’re out.’

  ‘Look to your navigational screen. There should be a single Lizard fighter out there somewhere. Don’t do anything rash, just find it and see what the hell it’s doing, then report back to me. Got that!’

  ‘Yes, Sir. Alpha One, out.’

  The Squadron streaked towards the lone fighter, closing the gap with every second.

  Kyla sat uncomfortably in the Lizard fighter and watched the advancing Legion Squadron via her nav screen.

  ‘Okay, they’re coming—what do you want me to do?’

  ‘Go straight up as slow as you can and k
eep the message facing them. No aggressive moves. Let them come to us.’

  Alpha Squadron roared in and stood off while Eric spoke with the Colonel.

  ‘Battle Command, we have the bogey in sight.’

  ‘So what’s the story?’

  ‘I don’t know, Sir—it’s just hanging in space. What do you want us to do?’

  ‘Hold your fire until we find out its purpose. Is it threatening you in any way?’

  Eric looked at the craft in front of him.

  ‘No, Sir, it’s just hanging there.’

  Tiddles switched screens on his VDU and magnified the image of the Lizard craft.

  ‘Hold it, Sir, there’s writing on the wings.’

  ‘Well, what does it say, man?’

  ‘It says ‘Pee Wee’, Sir.’

  The Colonel thumped the table in front of him again.

  ‘I knew it!’ he said, and then spoke into the microphone again.

  ‘Get someone over there to take a closer look and tell me what they see!’

  ‘Alpha One, this is Alpha Two. I’ll go.’

  ‘Roger that Alpha Two.’

  Ben and his pilot edged closer to the Lizard fighter to try and peer inside the canopy if possible. What they saw was a smiling Colin, with his thumb up.

  ‘Battle Command, this is Alpha Two. Alpha One is intact and back from the dead.’

  ‘You’re sure about that?’

  ‘This is Alpha Two, affirmative, Sir.’

  ‘Then bring them on home!’

  The Colonel slumped back in his chair, then turned and spoke to the Admiral, ‘I think I’m getting too old for this job.’

  ‘Nonsense, you’ve years ahead of you,’ the Admiral replied.

  The Colonel turned back to the microphone, ‘Alpha One, have the crew of the Lizard fighter report to Battle Command as soon as they’re down, also yourself and Mr Tiddles!’

  The Prize

  Kyla landed the Lizard fighter first and the others followed—the hangar staff looking on with trepidation as the enemy craft landed. The Lizards had been trying to get a Proton Torpedo in there for years and now one of their fighters had landed armed to the teeth. They quickly put chains on it and dragged it to one side.