Jason's earpiece crackled, and he held a finger to his ear to hear the transmission.
"Contacts in the next corridor. A mix of humans and Klyptons." Murphy's voice came through clear and calm, even as he stared down the massive aliens. It had been a while since Jason had seen a Klypton in person, but he remembered them well. Their pale mustard skin and multiple facial tentacles were hard to forget, not to mention their freakish strength. It was almost like they had been created just to counter the humans.
Thankfully, the Klyptons didn't seem to have a navy of their own. Of course, that hadn't stopped them from being a threat.
"What the hell is a Klypton?" Jenkins asked, sounding confused over the comm.
"Tall, yellow, and ugly. As far as we can tell, they're the Mythrar's main ground army," Walker replied.
"Their ground army? You mean the Mythrar aren't alone?"
"Hardly," Jason said. "They seem to be the slavers of the universe. Conquering a species only to add them into the fold. As far as we can tell, they have an army of Klyptons, Xandar, and even humans."
"You have got to be kidding. Humans? Why the hell would anyone throw their lot in with them?"
"You tell me," Walker said. "Those agents you were with earlier were all Mythrar loyalists."
"As far as why, we don't know. There is still a lot we don't know about the Mythrar. How they act, think, or operate. The only thing we know is that they don't do the fighting on their own. In fact, as a species, they don’t seem to be fighters. We have destroyed one flagship, and it was controlled by a Xandar. We believe the others will be the same." Blaster at the ready, Jason made his way up to the front of the group to get a look for himself.
Six of the brutish Klyptons paced the hall, each holding their deadly version of a blaster. They were surrounded by a dozen Secret Service agents, each holding blasters of their own.
"What's the plan?" Jason asked over the comm.
"I say we set up firing positions down the hall. When we're ready, we focus our attention on the Klyptons. Once they’re dead, we take down the agents." Walker's voice boomed confidently over the comm.
"Wait," Jenkins said.
"You have a better plan?" Walker countered.
"I might. What if you let me go ahead? I might be able to talk to the others and create a distraction."
"And how do you plan on doing that? That many agents in one place only means one thing. Landry is in that room. I doubt there is anything you could say that would drag them away from the opening."
"That part is easy." Jenkins turned to face Bremerton and smiled. "We are escorting public enemy number two. All I have to do is tell them you escaped and that I need help. I can get a few of them out of your way."
"I don't like it," Rhodes countered. "What if he sells us out? Tells the others where we are?"
"He won't," Jason assured. "He had every opportunity to join in with the others during my interrogation, and he didn't. Not only that, he could have killed me when you guys ambushed the other agents. Instead, he pushed me off to safety."
"I know these guys, how they think and act. Now that President Alvarez is dead, they will all be on edge. To them, failure isn't an option."
"Clearly it is," Rhodes countered.
"No, it's not. Someone may have killed the president, but that only changes their jobs. Other than protecting Landry, their new task is to find the person, or people, responsible. I'm sure I can get more than a few of them to come with me."
"What happens when things go south?" Walker countered. "Once we fire, they'll know you were in on it."
Jenkins pointed down to a plasma grenade buckled into Walker's belt. "I'll neutralize them, or if that fails, kill us all."
"I don't know, Sarge. Two-on-one odds aren't all that bad."
"No, but it would be better if we can get them down even more." Bremerton turned to face the remaining Marines. "I say we let Jenkins try. The worst thing that can happen is that they don't trust him and kill him on the spot. Best case, we have fewer things to kill before taking the CIC."
"The kid is right." Walker strode up to Jenkins and placed a hand on his shoulder. "But if you so much as think about betraying us, I'll make sure it's the last thing you do."
"I won't," Jenkins assured. "And I won't fail. Just give me enough time to get them out of your way before you fire. I don't want to die on this station."
Walker put his finger up to his ear, opening the comm. "Fall back to the adjacent hallway. We'll circle back around for a better shot while our agent friend here thins the herd. Move out."
Bremerton turned and regarded the agent with a nod. "Thank you."
Jenkins shot him a reluctant smile. "You can thank me by killing those alien bastards down the hall, and by keeping me alive."
"You got it."
Jason turned and joined the Marines, leaving Jenkins alone in the hall. The agent lowered his portable blaster to his side as he strode around the corner. Bremerton paused as he heard shouting coming from their previous position, but relaxed when things got quiet again. As he walked, he offered a silent prayer for Jenkins, hoping it wasn't the last time he saw the man.
Chapter Forty-Eight
New Earth Sector
Cockpit, X-71 Fighter
Debris pelted Fireball's cockpit as he twisted through the expanding debris field of a drone. His HUD cycled the next target in line and put it up on his screen. With a twist of the yoke, he put the tailfins of the fighter in his crosshairs before unloading a burst of laser fire into the target.
"There are so many drones out here I think we could just fire blindly and take them out by the dozens," Cross said half-jokingly.
Fireball didn't respond, though he admitted there was more than a kernel of truth to the statement. Ever since the Reliant had moved in to engage the flagship, thousands of the pilotless drones seemed to come to life. They moved and reacted with a singular purpose, like a swarm of angry hornets defending the nest. Fireball had been in dozens of fights in his life and nothing compared to this.
His comm beeped the sound of an incoming transmission. With a quick flip of his neck, he opened the channel.
"All Reliant fighters, I'm sending coordinates of your next targets to your consoles now. You are to engage the target at your earliest available opportunity."
Fireball brought up the target on his display and gasped. "Um, Bobcat, you realize that thing is attached to the flagship. Our weapons are worthless against that thing."
"I'm aware of its location and our shortcomings, but it's still a priority one target. You are to hit it with any available armaments, no holding back. Just watch your flight vectors for crossfire as the remaining ships in the entourage will also be firing on the target."
Wow, Fireball thought to himself. If they are willing to send everything at the target, the object must do something important. He thought it might have something to do with the shielding, or perhaps a way to overload the armor.
"I'm all for hitting the target, but we have our hands full with the drones," Switch said, speaking up for the remaining NEC fighters.
The line remained silent for a long moment before Bobcat came back online. With a glance, Fireball realized it wasn't open to the remaining fighters, only the squadron leaders. "The target and the drones are related. We have intelligence that believes we can disable the drones by destroying the object on the flagship. If we can pull that off, we may have one more surprise, but I'll leave that one in the box for now. Focus on the device out there, and we will do what we can to assist you from here. CAG, out."
Fireball brought his fighter around to face a squadron of drones flying towards the Reliant. He pulled back on the trigger, releasing a volley of fire against the lead drone. The beam hit the rogue fighter head-on, igniting it in a miniature explosion that sent debris cascading into the remaining three. Fireball used the momentary distraction to send another wave into the next fighter, while simultaneously pulling sideways on his controls, sending his bird int
o a controlled spin. He reached the swarm of fighters as the second round of fire hit the drone. Cross pulled out of a similar maneuver in time to destroy the third before the pair blasted past it and on toward the flagship.
Fireball's console beeped as Switch started a call to his bird. He accepted it with a nod.
"I'm taking my squad into the target. The two of you follow us in and cover our six. Once we hit the target, we'll swing around and give you fire support."
"Copy that. Coming in line with you now." Fireball disconnected that call while opening another to his squadron. "Form up on me. We're going to give Gamma squadron fire support as they hit the target. Once they pass, we are to move in and do the same while they swing back around and cover us."
A signal light on his console showed Cross' approval. Without hesitating, he brought his craft around to mirror Switch's movements. Two drones darted away from the flagship and towards the Gamma squadron birds and fired. Fireball brought his craft around in a controlled burn that put the fighters in his scope. Without a moment of hesitation, he pressed the trigger, sending laser fire into the new targets. The blast caught one fighter in the wing, causing it to spin uncontrollably into an NEC fighter.
The second drone, however, avoided the crossfire in time to send a burst towards Gamma squadron. The first beams tore into Dumpling's fighter, igniting the engine core in an explosion that threatened to blind Fireball. The subsequent blast sent a massive chunk of the fighter towards Sunset, catching the rookie pilot unaware from the side and threw both into the flagship's intense green beam.
Before the drone could unleash another round of lasers, Fireball corrected his course to bring it into his sights. He pulled back on the trigger at the same time as the drone fired. The beams penetrated the core of the drone, igniting the fuel cell of the small craft. It held together long enough to fire off the last thermal torpedo still attached to the wing.
"Switch, heads up. Torpedo incoming." Even as Fireball said the words, he knew it was too late. Once it had a lock, there was little a pilot could do to avoid the destruction.
Switch must have heard the warning as he fishtailed his craft around and fired. The first few shots missed wide as the fighter swung around, but moved closer to the target.
Watching the scene play out made Fireball feel helpless. He wanted nothing more than to send a few rounds into the projectile himself but didn't want to risk Switch's life doing so. Missing, even by a few inches, could be disastrous for his friend. The only thing he could do was watch and pray.
Another round from Switch's craft missed wide of the torpedo by a few inches. At its range, it was far enough away that it wouldn't destroy Switch's bird, but it was close enough to make the rest of the skirmish hell on his controls. Still, Fireball felt confident everything would be fine.
The feeling lasted until the next shot flew wide to the opposite side. The only thing Fireball could do was watch as the torpedo sped forward and slammed into his friend.
Chapter Forty-Nine
New Earth Sector
Bridge, NECS Reliant
"Damn it." Wellard pounded his console as another wave of damage reports flooded his screen. The green energy beam from the flagship was wreaking havoc on the lower decks. Dozens of crew members were already dead, and more were soon to follow if they didn't get things under control.
The scene playing out on the viewscreen was like something from a horror movie. Dozens of laser beams and hundreds of tracer rounds streaked away from the Mythrar line, slamming into the various ships in the entourage as thousands of smaller fighters flew around. Wellard had long given up on keeping track of the battle on his console and instead focused on reacting to what he saw on the main screen.
"Wilson, are our weapons having any effect on the beacon?" Wellard's fingers drummed against the console.
"Some," Wilson replied. "Though it seems to be mitigating most of our firepower like before."
This was the news Wellard didn't want to hear. That their weapons were just as ineffectual as before. Worse, this time they didn't even have a ship fast enough to close the gap in a hurry, to fire a nuke down the big ship's throat.
"Fine. Have our torpedo crews prepare a nuke to fire at the damned thing."
"But, sir, at our distance, there is no way the nuke will reach the target. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they flew a wave of drones in the way to shield the ship."
Wilson was right. At this distance, it would take a miracle for any of their torpedoes to hit the target. Still, they had to try. "We don't have any other options. We either risk the nukes getting intercepted en route to the flagship, or we risk them getting destroyed with us. Personally, before we die, I'd like to throw everything we have at that damned ship." The Reliant included, he thought.
The memory of Commander Bremerton piloting the Endeavor into the flagship over Entropa came to his mind. He pictured the light cruiser speeding around the flow of battle and into the massive vessel, destroying it almost immediately. Bremerton had gotten to an escape pod and barely ejected it in time to avoid being caught in the blast.
None of the ships in the entourage, or the NEC fleet, had the same drive as the Endeavor, though every ship being churned out at the shipyard from here out would have one installed. That meant they would have to find a way to destroy it the hard way.
"Understood, Captain. Torpedo crews report the nuke is loaded and ready. Awaiting your command."
"Fire."
Wellard clinched his jaw as the torpedo streaked away from the Reliant. It seemed to weave through the chaos of battle, dodging fighters and stray fire alike, as it sped towards the flagship. Five kilometers away from the vessel, a group of drones seemed to move to intercept the missile. Before he could issue a command for the fighters to engage the drones, one flew into the path of the nuke. It ignited in a brilliant explosion that over-saturated the screen. When the image returned, the nuke, and all the nearby fighters, were gone, leaving a glowing debris field in its wake.
"Torpedo crews report the next one will be loaded and ready in less than a minute," Wilson said. "Shall I lock onto the target again?"
"Please," Wellard replied. "Issue the order to fire once it's ready." He pulled up his console and opened a channel to the flight deck CIC. "Commander, we're about to fire another nuke at the flagship. Have any available fighters escort it to its target."
"Understood, sir," she said, though there was a hint of hesitation in her voice.
"Is there a problem, Commander?"
"Actually, sir, there is. We don't have many fighters left alive. Those that are, are busy engaging the flagship. If we pull them back now, they're likely to get picked off in the crossfire."
"I understand, Commander, but it's the best plan we've got. Order any fighters not busy with the flagship to run interference. I'll call over to the other ships and have them do the same."
"Yes, sir."
Wellard ended the transmission and turned to McRee. "I assume you heard the conversation?"
"I've already sent the transmission, sir. Their CAGs are all reporting that they'll send everyone they have."
"Good," he replied. "Commander, any word on our nuke?"
Wilson tapped on his console. "Nuke is coming online now. Firing solutions will be ready in ten."
Wellard gripped his armrests in anticipation of the launch. On the main viewscreen, he watched as nearly a hundred fighters pulled off from their targets and moved to the center of the gap, each putting themselves in a position to shield the nuke as it sped towards the target. All around him the other ships of the entourage moved to put themselves in a better firing arc, though most seemed to be still firing on the flagship's beacon.
"Firing," Wilson said. Seconds later the flare from the nuke was visible onscreen. It sped away from the Reliant much faster than the first, likely the result of an early lock. But, like before, the Mythrar drones seemed to be ready for the move, as fifty of the smaller craft pulled off from their duties and turned
towards the nuke.
The fighters from the entourage moved to intercept, and within seconds the fighter battle erupted anew. Dozens of smaller explosions pocked the gap as the smaller vessels fired on each other. Off on its own, the nuke raced between the fighter battle, avoiding stray fire as if it were being guided by a live pilot. It looked like it was going to hit.
Then, right as the nuke was about to hit, something shot off from the flagship and towards the nuke. It was just over half a kilometer away from the ship when the nuke slammed into the object. Wellard gritted his teeth as the screen struggled to compensate for the blinding light. When the image returned, the flagship was still there. Even worse, the beacon seemed to be intact.
"Sensors detect superficial damage to the beacon. Structural integrity is compromised, but not to where our weapons will do any good against it."
"Shit." Wellard punched his console, causing the screen to crack from the impact. "Wilson, have crews load up another."
Wilson opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a blast buffeted the Reliant. Secondary explosions could be heard across the ship, causing the deck plates to rumble below his feet.
"What the hell did we lose?" Wellard asked, attempting to read the report through his cracked screen.
"Crews are reporting massive damage to decks eleven and seventeen. Emergency crews are already moving to patch the holes, but…" Wilson glanced over at Wellard, leaving the rest of the sentence unsaid.
"Spit it out, Commander."
"We've lost the torpedo bays."
Chapter Fifty
New Earth Sector
New Earth Station
Bremerton stared down the scope of his rifle at the group of Klyptons down the hall. He watched Jenkins through the lens as the agent talked to the group of humans in the rear.
Jenkins' plan wasn't great, but it was the best option they had. Any agents he pulled away from the CIC were fewer Walker's Marines would have to deal with when the fight started. That would leave Walker with more of his men to storm the CIC once the skirmish in the hall was done.
Defiant (The Mythrar War Book 4) Page 15
