As much as Gnawbones wished to return the attack at the flying whale monster, he have to move the second phase of the current war plan that the Demon Rat Generals had planned beforehand.
The first phase of this particular war plan which the Demon Rat Air Force was responsible for was to attack via the surface. They had a hidden base which was supposed to be used for this particular phase and their planes would either destroy the threat that was damaging the energy shield.
Even if they could not defeat the force that was damaging the energy shield, the remaining number of Demon Rat planes would zoom past the enemy's forces with all their might and return to the Undercity. The mages would open up a certain section that was known to the Demon Rat Pilots that were participating in this war operation and then the fighter planes would disrupt the enemy lines from the back.
I feel like I got stupider after covid. >__>