Star Wars_ X-Wing 09_ Starfighters of Adumar - Aaron Allston [93]
General ya Sethes looked dubious. “If we wait until the fighters are all engaged, yes, then the deception will be harder to recognize. But what’s the point?”
Wedge smiled at her. “The point is, within a single squadron’s engagement, the pilots can tend to affect which of them is to be the focus of enemy assaults. Put someone who has good evasive skills up under the name of, say, Major Janson. The enemies will flock to him, possibly allowing the best shooters in his squadron an unanswered salvo or two. Then, if our ersatz Janson gets clear of weapons locks for a moment, he can take off his mask—switch his transponder back to his real identity—and confuse participants scanning for him. Any confusion we can sow in the enemy helps us, hurts them.”
The general still looked unconvinced, but said, “If nothing else, this should be simple to program. I’ll see to it.”
“Thank you.” Wedge turned back to the map. “Are Cartann’s military responses predictable enough that we can map out where our forces will engage theirs?”
“Only if their squadron response drills are good indications.” Tycho shrugged. “Hard to say, since those drills are non-weapon exercises and the Cartann flyers hate that. But my guess is, yes.”
“So we send out one squadron an hour or two ahead of each major formation. Pilots skilled at terrain-following flying. They fly beneath the altitude at which lightbounce sensors start to be active and set up in deep cover beneath the projected engagement zone. Because, until they break up to pursue enemies, Cartann squadrons tend to fly in pretty close formations—”
“So our advance units can fire their missiles up at their squadrons passing overhead,” Janson said. “Perhaps taking out multiple fighters per missile in those first few seconds.”
“Ooh,” Hobbie said. “I volunteer. I want that. Let me do that. Please.” Though his expression was, as usual, somber, he was practically hopping from foot to foot in his excitement.
Wedge and Tycho looked at one another. Wedge asked, “Have you ever seen behavior like this?”
Tycho shook his head. “Only when he really, really needs to run to the refresher. Hobbie, why?”
“Because I am sick of it,” Hobbie said. “I’m sick to death of ‘Hello, I’m so-and-so and I’ve killed this many enemies, and I challenge you, and we bow and go by the rules and say cute things to one another, and isn’t it nice that we’re all dead now?’ Tycho, I want to shoot something. I want to blow something up. No apologies. No advance warning. Just lethal efficiency. Before frustration kills me.”
“More words that he’s strung together at once since I’ve known him,” Tycho said. “All right, Hobbie. You’ll be in charge of the advance squadron for lead group.”
“I don’t think he’s entirely sane right now,” Janson said. “I’d better stay with him.”
“Good idea,” Wedge said. “Anyway, Tycho, that’s all the modifications I had to recommend for your plan. I do want to address the pilots, either directly or by recording, and lay down some rules. I want them flying New Republic-style. I see a pilot flying for glory instead of victory, I’ll be happy to shoot him down myself.”
“Done,” said General ya Sethes.
Wedge caught Cheriss’s eye. “Cheriss, will you be staying here?”
She shook her head. “I’m being flown in hours early, with a special ground unit. I could not bring myself to fire upon my city, or tell others where to drop the bombs … but I can help find your X-wings.”
“I appreciate that. It might prove to be vital if Turr Phennir and his pilots are in their TIE Interceptors. Thanks.” He turned to Hallis. “What about you? Staying here, I hope?”
“Are you crazy?” She frowned. “Let me rephrase that. Haven’t you been paying attention? I’m a documentarian. They’ve granted me a place on one of the Meteors. I’ll be recording all the way in, all the way out.”
Wedge considered his responses, but knew he had