Seas of the Red Star

by Andrew Gates

  “His head looks unshielded under that helmet. I say aim for his jaw. Maybe that’s his only vulnerable spot.”

  “It’s worth a shot.”

  They tried their trick again. Ellen poked her head out, Rosh fired at her, then Zheng popped out from the other side and got a few shots off. Only this time, Rosh was prepared for it. He already had one gun pointed at Zheng the moment he emerged.

  A blast of plasma hit Zheng in the left shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon and stumble to the floor. He cried out in pain. Ellen could see the burnt skin bubbling up through the hole that had melted through the armor under his now torn clothes. The sight made Ellen cringe.

  Before she had time to react, Rosh was suddenly on them. His weapons were now holstered. The modded man lifted Zheng’s body up into the air as if he weighed nothing at all. He grabbed his torso with one hand and his damaged arm with the other. Slowly, he tried to rip the arm from the rest of the body, but Zheng used what strength he had to squirm away at the last second. He fell to the floor and stopped moving the second his body collided against the metal. Ellen assumed he must have fallen unconscious from the shock. Rosh eyed him up for a moment, but decided to ignore him.

  “It’s just you and me now,” Rosh said in a deep tone.

  Ellen scurried away and raised her weapon, trying to aim up under the man’s helmet as he stepped over Zheng’s unconscious body. Rosh must have known what she was aiming for. He held one arm before his face like a shield. His other hand reached for his weapon

  In that moment, it looked like it was all over. Ellen felt dead already. She trembled and closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate. This was what death looked like. She knew it. This was the end.

  Boom!

  Something hit the ship from the outside, causing the whole room to shake violently. Ellen naturally opened her eyes and steadied herself. Whatever hit them, it must have been a massive blast. Even safely aboard the ship, Ellen could feel the heat from outside.

  The blast caused Rosh to lose his footing. He slipped, toppling to the floor. Without wasting a second, Ellen raised her weapon to his chin. She would not waste this valuable opportunity. She fired, hitting him directly in the jaw. One shot did nothing, but she continued firing over and over. Pow! Pow! Pow! Eventually, even with a non-lethal blast, the armored man’s face was torn apart. He was now unidentifiable. And even after that, she continued to fire, unloading as if he would stand up at any second.

  But he didn’t. He remained motionless on the floor.

  Milsen, some mercs fired off a rocket from the dock. That blast went off close to your position. Are you and Zheng alright? Major Markos asked over the ATG, referring to the blast that had shaken the room.

  Ellen eyed up her fellow soldier. Zheng was badly hurt, but alive. She knew he would pull through.

  Things have not been going so well since you left, Major. We encountered some trouble and we were nearly finished. I… I looked death in the face, Major. You don’t understand. That blast could not have come at a better time. With all due respect, would it be alright if we join you? I’d feel a lot more comfortable by your side.

  Aye, come to me, Corporal.

  The corporal took a deep breath of relief, glad that she could finally leave this airlock and join Markos. After everything she had seen in her military career, that was the closest she had ever come to death. She honestly did not think she was going to make it.

  After gathering her composure, she crawled over to Zheng and tapped him on the face. He slowly opened his eyes, then shrieked.

  “It’s fine. You’re safe.”

  “The big guy?” Zheng asked through rushed breaths. It seemed in was in a state of shock.

  “Dead.”

  “Not stunned?” His eyes quickly darted across the floor. He spotted Rosh lying still.

  “Nope. Dead,” Ellen replied, shaking her head.

  “How about that annoying prisoner guy?” Zheng asked as he met her eyes again.

  “He’s out cold.”

  “Good." Zheng smiled. He closed his eyes for a moment and then calmly opened them. "Thanks for saving my ass, Milsen.”

  “Don’t thank me. We both saved each other’s asses today.”

  “What’s our next play?” he asked as he found the strength to stand. Ellen helped pull him up.

  “Major Markos wants us to join her.”

  “Good,” he replied as he nodded his head. “I can’t wait to get the hell out of this room.”

  “Same. I just can’t believe we’re alive. I… I honestly thought I was going to die.”

  “Hopefully you’ll never have to feel that way again.”

  “I sure hope so,” was all she said back, though that was putting it mildly. Deep down, Ellen knew she could never come back from that. She had stared death in the face. There was no way she could ever put that out of mind again. Despite being clear of direct fire for the remainder of the mission, that one moment would haunt her for the rest of her days.

  Eventually Milsen and Zheng, along with Hermes and Lockheart, linked up with Markos in the weapons bay. They confirmed that the Indomitable had finally been cleared of hostiles, but that did not mean the ship was safe yet from the outside. Together, the Marines manned the ship’s exterior cannons, protecting the ship from Volkro’s final assault, though Volkro himself never made an appearance. That wasn’t his style. He was the type who operated in the dark from the sidelines, not the type to get his hands dirty.

  When at last Darla confirmed that the outside was secure as well, clear of mercs, the Marines assembled at the bridge to evaluate the situation. The ship was safe, banged up, but safe. The colonists were safe as well, but Volkro was nowhere to be found.

  Ellen and the others remained behind for another week as the ship prepared for launch. When the Indomitable finally did leave the system, it was only Markos who went with the ship. The other Marines stayed behind.

  It was another year until Volkro was eventually detained by SDF Marines with the support of the local police force here on the JSR. And it was another decade still until Ellen was able to find her own way out of the Sol system.

  Ultimately the mission was a success. But in all that time, Ellen never forgot what it felt like to stare down the barrel of the gun that almost took her life.

  Reflection’s End

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 01.29.5673

  Location: North Docks, Brown Sanctum, Taspansa, The Governor’s Dominion

  By the time Ellen was finished with her tale, her eyes were wet with tears. She wiped her face and set her hands flat on her lap.

  “Wow, Ellen, I had no idea,” Dave said. He held his hand on hers. “I’m so sorry. If I’d known how important that mission was to you, I never would have asked about it.”

  “No,” Ellen replied, shaking her head. “I’m glad you did. It feels good to finally talk about it. I’m glad to get it out there. I’ve been bottling it up for so long, I guess… I guess it’s somewhat liberating to finally talk about it.”

  Dave smiled at her and stared into her eyes.

  “I’ve fought modded bad guys, defused bombs with seconds to spare, seen countless battles on land, space, rings, you name it. But that was the only mission where I felt certain I was going to die. I never want to feel that again.”

  “I understand.”

  “Thanks for listening to my story, Dave. Thanks for being there.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’re both getting things off the table today. It’s good to finally have this discussion.”

  “This is probably the most we’ve ever talked,” Ellen noted. She chuckled a bit as she wiped some more tears away.

  “I think you’re right.” Dave chuckled back.

  “I’m sorry. I know I haven’t been the best partner to you on this mission.”

  “It’s alright. I know I’m not easy to work with. And I never should have lied to you,” Dave replied.

  Aww, this is cute, Yuri chimed in.
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  Shut up, Ellen shot back, privately.

  Suddenly there was a knocking on the cabin door. Ellen and Dave both instinctively turned to face the source of the noise.

  “Who is it?” Ellen asked, not knowing what else to say.

  The door opened and a guard stepped in, wet with rainwater. He stared at them both as they sat still on the floor.

  “It’s time,” he said.

  “Time for what?” Dave asked.

  “The ships are preparing to leave. As per the Governor’s orders, you two are to lead the ground assault. You’ll be joining your old friend, Captain Yasso, aboard Steel Victory. He’s been promoted to commodore now, thanks to you two.”

  Ellen and Dave both stood up from the floor. Dave subtly tapped Ellen on the shoulder, prompting her to turn and face him.

  “Ready to go fight some pirates?” he asked in a hushed voice.

  “Not really,” Ellen replied. The sea scorgers, though blatant lawbreakers, were good people deep down. She had even grown close to a few of them, namely the cabin boy, Russell. Ellen did not want to bring them harm.

  “Yeah.” Dave looked down the floor. A disappointed expression shone on his face. “Me neither.”

  Ellen had seen a lot of action in her life, but as a Marine, she always fought the bad guys. Her missions were clearly black and white. Now, she was forced to fight the scorgers, who, though criminals, were still a family. Deep down, Ellen could tell they were good people. Azzorro cared about his crew, gave them a place to be safe, to be loved. And the boy named Russell reminded her so much of her son, Blake.

  She did not want to harm them just like she did not want to harm the Navy men. When it was all over, Ellen wondered if she would regret this mission more than the JSR.

  Captain Bergh of the Scorger’s Fist

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 01.29.5673

  Location: The Scorger’s Fist, Taspansa, The Governor’s Dominion

  Captain Bergh stood upon the deck and gazed out on the horizon as the ship neared its target. His drenched cape blew in the forceful wind. Its red dye shimmered in the light of the sun that poked through the clouds and fog. He planted his real foot firmly against the deck, relying on it to stand still as the ship rocked back and forth. His wooden leg was less dependable.

  “We’re closing in on the Navy boat, Captain!” shouted the quartermaster, Leston. He was a younger man, but had practically grown up on this boat. He and the captain were close. At times Bergh viewed him as a son.

  “I see that, Leston! Let’s bring it in close!” he replied.

  The enemy ship was unlike anything Captain Bergh had ever seen. It carried no sails, nor an open deck. Its hull was made of metal, rather than wood. Strangest of all was the noise. The ship seemed to roar like a monster of the sea. The captain found himself covering his ears at times just to avoid going deaf.

  The ship seemed like an easy enough target. Without a sail, there was no way the boat could move. It was as good as a raft.

  Or so he thought.

  Suddenly the boat changed course. It turned, putting itself perpendicular to the Scorger’s Fist.

  “What’s it doing?” he muttered aloud. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

  “It’s changing course, sir!” Leston replied. “What would you have us do?”

  “Proceed, but be cautious. Are the cannons armed?”

  “Aye, Captain! Ready to fire at your command,” he explained.

  “Good. We may need them sooner than expected.”

  Suddenly a roaring boom echoed across the sea. Bergh instinctively looked up to face the enemy ship. He knew that sound all too well.

  “Cannon fire!” he shouted. “Brace for attack!”

  The first cannonball missed the boat entirely, though a second and third both struck the hull, sending wooden planks splintering in all directions.

  “They can hit us, but we can’t hit them, sir. We’re facing them head-on,” Leston explained. He pointed out to the enemy boat. “We don’t have forward-facing cannons. This position will do us no good.”

  “Aye, then let’s turn this ship! Do it!”

  Leston ran off and immediately began shouting orders to the crew. Within a few seconds, the Scorger’s Fist started to turn.

  More cannon fire blasted against the hull. Captain Bergh caught himself ducking down a few times to avoid the explosions. He stammered across the deck, trying to keep balance with his wooden leg.

  The captain counted the seconds until their cannons were in position. It seemed like an eternity. Once the ships were aligned, he wasted no time.

  “Fire! Open fire!” he ordered, bellowing at the top of his lungs.

  “Fire!” Leston repeated.

  Cannons erupted from the Scorger’s Fist. Smoke filled the air, causing Bergh to cough. He watched as the thick metal balls flew across the ocean and collided against the enemy ship. The balls dented the hull. Some got themselves stuck in the metal. Others bounced right off and landed in the water.

  Captain Bergh had never seen anything like it.

  “What in the name of the Red God is this magic?” someone asked in a raspy tone. The captain could not make out who had uttered these words, but he could not agree more.

  “Our cannons are useless! The ship has taken no damage!” Leston said. There was panic in his voice.

  The captain wasted no time. He pulled out his monoscope and stared through it. The boat had to have some sort of weakness. He just needed to find it.

  More cannonballs collided against the scorger ship. Wooden splinters erupted nearby. Pieces exploded against Captain Bergh, cutting him up. He dropped the monoscope and fell to the deck.

  Leston raced over and helped him up.

  “Thank you, Leston,” the captain said as he stood erect.

  “You’re bleeding, sir,” the young man replied. He eyed him up.

  “I’m fine. Hand me that monoscope there.” Bergh may have been wounded, but he was not about to stop.

  The quartermaster did as he was asked. He picked up the device from the deck and handed it to his captain. Bergh raised it to his eye again and studied the enemy ship.

  The metal boat seemed to be enclosed on all sides, except for a few slits here and there which allowed the sailors to see out. The narrow slits were located high atop the boat. The bottom was shrouded in fog.

  “Those windows there,” the captain said, pointing to the ship. “That’s how they see out.”

  “Aye, sir. They have to see somehow,” Leston agreed.

  “Surely they can’t see much through such narrow holes. That’s our advantage.”

  “How do we use that?”

  “They can see far out the window, but they can’t see down, especially with all that fog. We need to get up close to them, Leston. If we’re right up on them, they can’t see us.”

  “What do you propose, Captain?”

  Bergh stuffed his monoscope into his jacket pocket and spun around to face his quartermaster. His red cape rose and fell in the air as he turned.

  “Prepare a boarding party!”

  Boarding Party

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 01.29.5673

  Location: Unnamed Lifeboats, Near the Governor’s Glory, Taspansa, The Governor’s Dominion

  Ross nervously gripped his scabbard as the small boat moved through the fog. Ross had been in countless battles before, but had never felt this afraid. The enemy boat was like nothing he had seen. He watched as its hull deflected cannon fire like it was nothing.

  As far as he was concerned, only a sorcerer could create something so powerful. Perhaps this was not a battle worth fighting.

  “Hey, Ross, you gonna help us row or sit there and watch?” Doug whispered, elbowing him in the shoulder.

  “Oh, sorry,” Ross said, coming back to reality. He let go of his scabbard and gripped the oar. They rowed slowly, trying not to make a sound.

  The captain’s plan was easy enough to follow. Since they
could not destroy the boat through cannon fire, they would attempt to board the vessel instead. The sea scorgers took up two small rowboats with 10 boarders in each. One party would approach from the starboard side, the other from the port. The plan called for both parties to climb aboard the enemy ship simultaneously using grappling hooks.

  It was simple enough to follow, but easier said than done.

  “Come on, lads,” added Jorge. “The other boys aren’t going to wait all day.”

  The first boat was already in position on the port side. Ross could still see its faint silhouette through the fog. The first boat had less distance to travel and was now simply waiting for the second boat to get into position.

  Ross’s boat rounded the metal ship’s bow undetected. Soon they would be out of sight.

  Doug stood up in the rowboat and waved the appropriate flags, signaling for other boat to get ready.

  “That’s the signal,” Jorge whispered. “We have 30 seconds.”

  “No time to lose,” Doug added as he sat back down. They started rowing a bit faster now, hoping not to miss the mark.

  Some of the crewman began pulling out hooks. Each hook was attached to strong lengthy ropes, perfect for climbing.

  The rowboat now aligned with the enemy ship on the starboard side. Ross slowed his rowing and held his hand out to catch the Navy vessel. The cold surface of the hull tormented the cuts on his hands.

  “Ten,” Jorge whispered, “nine… eight.”

  As Jorge counted down, Ross felt his heart pound. He could not believe they were going to do this. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

  “Five… four… three…”

  Ross opened his eyes now.

  “Two… one…”

  The crew tossed the hooks into the narrow slits on the side of the metal boat. Ross could hear a clanking sound as the hooks met the edges.

  “Now!” Doug called out, apparently no longer concerned about silence.

  The crew wasted no time ascending the ropes. Within a matter of seconds, they were at the top. Ross watched in awe as the sea scorgers blindly aimed their firearms inside the vessel and let out a barrage of gunfire. Smoke erupted all around the hull.