As the squadron pulled together to herd off the swarming flock of drones, more of them being swatted out of the sky with some effort by Zola and Everett's efforts, the jamming dropped out.
[I]<<"Impressive">>[/i] a female voice with a youthful and flirtatious edge sounded over the radio. [i]<<"You did well against my Vogels this time around - especially with the surprise too. Unfortunately, it looks like playtime is over for today. Run along now, little chickens, and we'll play together again soon">>[/i]
In a dazzling shower of pyrotechnics, the UCAV's dropped a shower of chaff and flares, breaking away in a starburst pattern and running low toward the horizon as the Excalibur squadron went feet-wet over the Mediterranean and in the direction of the [i]Nimue[/i]. 
With a burst of static, the CIC was back in touch.
<<"Excalibur squadron, respond! Exacalibur squadron, this is [i]Nimue[/i] CIC, please respond!">>
Tired and with a weariness in her voice, Ariella replied, wiping one hand across her face as she toggled the transmit button on her throttle.
"Nimue CIC, this is Lioness, Excalibur One. All aircraft present and accounted for. We were jumped by hostiles during the mission. We got the recon footage, but the surface-to-surface weapons weren't attacked. We're RTB with damage, have crash-crews on standby, over"
<<"Roger Excalibur,">> the CIC responded, the operators voice urgent and loaded with tension. <<"There's more news - the AWACS was shot down during the mission by an unidentified weapon system. The anti-ship weapons may have been decoys, as the fleet were attacked in any event. A hostile unit somehow got within striking distance and caught them unawares - we're receiving reports of the attack now. Intelligence are compiling information, and may have a lead on our next mission. There'll be a full briefing once you RTB and we're underway, over">>
"Roger," replied Ariella, feeling tiredness weigh heavy on her - she realized they'd gone straight from the emergency takeoff at Lossiemouth and the interception mission, to flying to the [i]Nimue[/i], to this mission with barely a chance to catch breath. What she needed was sleep and food, and she had no doubt that the others needed the same. But first, they needed to get back to the comparative safety of the sub-carrier.
"Excalibur squadron, you heard the deal," she reported to the others over the radio. "And thanks, guys, for joining us," she added to the new pilots in the brace of F-14's. "If you hadn't turned up, I think we would've been done for. You kind of broke the enemies' attacks. Good work, and glad to have you with us. Once we get five minutes and a bar, drinks are on me for you both. But in the meantime, we have to get back to the ship and land, ahead of whatever's in store for us next".
Her face set into a grimace under her mask as she considered the events: the strange drones and the weapon used on her plane, the mysterious woman who'd spoken to them, and then the unusual attack on the fleet. She considered all of it before she continued, trying to bolster her comrades confidence in the face of the near-disastrous sortie.
"They caught us on the back foot this time. But now we know they've got these weapons to use, and that means we can fight them. We aren't done yet. In fact, we're just getting started. And we drew blood out of them, even in the face of their attack. Next time, we'll send them running, hard, rather than retreating at their leisure".

Over the miles and with the ocean rolling by under the grey-painted wings of the Kfir, Ariella gave a sigh of relief as the [i]Nimue[/i] came into view, waiting to receive the squadron. Banking into a holding pattern, she clicked onto the channel again. 
"The rest of you head in first. I took the heaviest damage, and I should land last. That way I don't block the runway and you all end up running out of fuel. If it comes to the worst, I can just punch out and go for a swim... I'll see you all back down there shortly.".
She pulled the Kfir into a circular pattern around the submersible carrier, watching over the others as they went in for their own landing runs, willing each aircraft down safely, and avoiding thinking about her own landing and the challenges it would present.