UFO in trouble?

I was 12 years old at the time. We lived on top of a small mountain, and from that vantage point you could see 360 degress unencumbered.  Occasionally when we were outside at night you could see satellites beeping by or planes of all descriptions.  You see, we lived close to Scott Air Force Base. So we were accustomed to these things.
However, one night when I was outside I was looking into the night sky when suddenly there was a very bright orange object (noiseless) streaking across the sky. It stopped abruptly over the town in the distance and started to waver. First slowly to the left and then the right, then up and down. It would seem to start to fall, then rise again very shakily. 
By this time I had called my sister to come watch. While we were both out there watching this one, ANOTHER one came from out of no where.  When I say that I mean that again, there was no sound or noise, and it streaked by so fast that it was incomprehensible.  It then stopped dead in midair beside the other one, which was faltering badly in the air.  
The second one lifted itself up and down accordingly and steadily to be close to the first one in trouble. It (the second one) then moved closer until they were "joined". A few seconds passed and then the orange light was much brighter. They then split apart in opposite directions so fast that you couldn't see where they went.
Witness indicates that date of the incident is approximate.  PD