"I'm not as fast to turn on him," Wellard said, "but, I agree. If his flagship goes down, I won't lose any sleep."
Flannigan nodded. "I'll order a dozen ships to do the same. The faster we can take the flagships out of the equation, the faster we can focus on those new contacts breathing down our throats. Flannigan, out."
Wellard turned to Ensign Price. "Turn us towards that middle flagship. Wilson, when we're in range, I want you to fire everything we have at it. Focus on the holes being created by the other flagship."
"What about the drones?" Richards asked. "If we get too close, I may lose control of them."
"Try to keep them away from the other flagship. If that isn't an option, keep using them as guided missiles until you lose control. I'll call down to the CAG to warn her about that possibility."
Chapter Sixty
New Earth Sector
CIC, New Earth Station
"Commander, pull up a list of our remaining assets on the main viewscreen."
"Sir," he said without breaking his gaze from the screen. Moments later he had the requested information up on the screen. He didn't need to see her face to know her reaction as the list of remaining ships was dwarfed by the list of the destroyed. The only solace was in the list of damaged and destroyed Mythrar assets, as it outweighed the lost NEC assets by a hair.
"It's a miracle the battle groups are mostly intact," Flannigan remarked. "Open a channel to the fleet."
"Channel open, sir," Ensign Dashine said.
She waited a few moments before speaking to give the remaining captains time to react to her return. "As much as our situation deserves a long, drawn-out speech, we don't have the time. Moments ago, I regained control of New Earth Station, and with it the defensive array. It seems my return was either too late, or right on time, depending on the circumstances, yet I'm back in control."
“With the loss of Admirals Pennington, Navarro, and Parks, I am putting new leadership in place. I am taking control of Admiral Pennington's battle group, Captain Wellard is now in charge of Admiral Parks', and I'm putting Commander Jason Bremerton in charge of Admiral Navarro's. Expect new orders in the next few minutes."
Flannigan glanced over at Jason and shot him a nod. It took everything he had to keep from letting his emotions boil over. The entirety of his career had come down to an opportunity to lead a fleet in battle. Sure, he wouldn't be leading the fleet from the front lines, but it didn't change the job's demands. He was still being asked to turn the battle around, to give humanity a chance to fight another day. It was a tall order, but he was prepared to give it everything he had.
"You have put up one hell of a fight," Flannigan continued. "The Mythrar didn't know what they had coming when they attacked our home. Let's send the four-legged bastards back home with their tails between their legs. Flannigan, out."
Seconds after the transmission ended, she limped her way across the CIC to the main terminal. She smiled at Bremerton as she took the open seat next to him.
"Thank you, sir," he said, once she was seated.
"Don't thank me. You earned the opportunity. Without you, we wouldn't have control of the station."
"Without Walker, you mean."
"Walker follows you. What he did, he did in service to Captain Wellard and you. He could've easily followed Landry's order to head to the planet. Instead, he risked his life and career to find you." She spared a glance at Walker and his Marines guarding the entrance to the room. "Those men respect you. Not because of your rank, or your position. Many times you have put your own life on the line to save those men and your crew."
Bremerton scoffed. "They're here because of duty."
Flannigan smirked. "I think you'd be surprised." Without saying another word, she turned to her console and tapped on the screen.
Seeing that, Jason wasted no time getting to work as well. Moments later, the pair were directing the flow of battle from their screens. Typically, this was the job of the XO or, barring that, the lead tactical officer, but they didn't have the extra bodies to spare. As a bonus, it made it easier for the pair to work together, without the risk of sending the crew a batch of mixed commands.
"Has he had any luck opening a channel with the incoming fleet?" Flannigan asked.
"Nothing yet," Dashine replied. "We are hitting heavy interference a few hundred kilometers out. It's like they don't want us calling for help."
"Smart thinking on their end," Bremerton said. "Get in touch with Lieutenant Richards on the Reliant. He might be able to come up with a solution for your signal."
"Richards has his hands full at the moment controlling a few hundred drones," Flannigan said without breaking eye contact with her screen. "Besides, the fleet will be in firing range long before he'd be able to break through the interference.
"Understood, sir. I'll…" Dashine trailed off. "Sir, Captain Miller is hailing us."
Flannigan and Bremerton's eyes met before she pulled herself to her feet. "Put it on the screen."
Chapter Sixty-One
New Earth Sector
Cockpit, X-71 Fighter
Avoiding the debris surrounding the Reliant, Tegan fired a volley into a pair of incoming drones. The bogeys exploded as she flew through the remnants, causing her proximity alarms to blare in her ears. She switched off the warning as she adjusted her course towards Switch's bird. With the amount of debris floating around the station, the alarm would be a constant nuisance instead of the savior it was intended to be. Things were dangerous enough without having to deal with a loss of focus.
Two more bogeys moved into her line of fire. She adjusted her course to bring one into view. She fired off a dozen shots at the target, most missing wide, before hitting the ship. The beam tore through the drone's wing, sending the shard of metal careening into the void, but doing little more. She considered turning her craft to finish the job but decided against it. Getting her friend back alive was more important than killing a few drones.
Three kilometers away, she opened a channel with Switch. "Bobcat to Switch, you copy?"
"What are you doing out here? This place is a madhouse." Switch sounded calm and poised, despite his predicament.
"I made a promise."
"You should've sent a SAR bird, not come yourself. The pilots need you now, more than ever."
"I know." Tegan remained quiet for a moment. She didn't have a good answer for him. Her place was in the CIC, directing the fighter battle. Barring that, on the bridge doing the same. The last place she should've been was in a fighter, in the middle of the battle. "It's too late to turn back now. If Wellard is going to have my ass, I'm going to make it worthwhile."
It was Switch's turn to be quiet. Tegan wondered what was going on in his head. Did he seriously think she would leave him out there unable to fight? Or worse, to die alone in the void?
"Tell me what I'll be dealing with when I get close," she said.
"Other than the debris field, it's clear."
"No problem, then."
"Actually, that IS the problem. The clearest path is loaded with debris. At best, you might make it here without full cabin depressurization. At worst…"
"So, I vent my atmo and take it nice and slow." She'd seen how bad things were outside the Reliant, how bad could it be?
"It won't be that easy." A loud clunk echoed over the comm. "My bird has been getting pelted with debris since I lost thrusters. How it is still in one piece is beyond me, but I don't think it will stay that way."
More reason for me to hurry, she thought. "Hold on. I'll be there soon."
Tegan continued her flight towards Switch's craft as the battle raged around her. Fewer and fewer drones seemed to approach her vessel as she flew. Those that did, she destroyed promptly.
Electricity arced from the shattered remains of the Illinois. Dozens of escape pods littered the void around the ship, making the flight even more treacherous. She knew without a doubt they needed to get SAR shuttles in the void sooner rather than later, but
it was far too dangerous to risk their lives. At their current pace, it would be hours before space was clear enough to send them out. All she could do is hope most of them could survive until it was.
She flew through the expanding debris field of one of the Mythrar ships with the skill of a veteran pilot. Years of training and combat had prepared her for this, yet she was having troubles dealing with it mentally. Thousands of people had already lost their lives, not counting the humans fighting for the Mythrar, and more perished every second. She'd seen more bodies floating in the void on this trip than she had in all her years of service. Once the war was over, she hoped to never see another one in her life.
Tegan swerved around the remnants of a fighter and saw Switch alone in a cluster of debris. How am I going to get you out of this? She triggered her forward thrusters to bring her craft to a crawl. It wouldn't do either of them any good if she crashed trying to save him.
"Told you," Switch's voice crackled over the comm. "It will take a miracle to get me out of here."
Tegan checked her display and smiled. "I can do miracles. You think your bird can handle being dragged through the debris field?"
"It can't be any worse than it is now," he replied. "Tow cable?"
"It's our best shot."
"Presuming you can hit me from there. It would be easier to destroy a flagship by firing a torpedo up an exhaust port."
"Something like that." Tegan inched her craft forward, careful not to go too fast. The mass of debris would make any mistakes dangerous, if not deadly.
She energized the tow cable as she lined up the shot. The tow cable and assembly had been designed to be used and abused, but malfunctions had been known to happen. Hitting the wrong target would mean reeling the cable in, risking a kink or being tangled on the remnants of a ship, ruining the cable. Then there was the risk of damaging the firing mechanism with each successive shot. None of that even took the battle into account. If they drew the attention of one of the capital ships, or the drones, her rescue attempt could count for nothing.
"Get ready for impact," she said through the comm. Without waiting for Switch's acknowledgment, she depressed the trigger, sending the cable into the void. The line shot off, narrowly avoiding hunks of debris as it soared through the void.
"Positive hit," Switch said. "Magnet locked and pulling."
"Good, now hold on." Tegan kicked her forward thrusters on slowly, pushing her bird in reverse. She wanted to pull him through the worst of the debris before turning her craft around. It wouldn't do any good to crash him into something before getting him off to safety.
"Bobcat, three on your six," came Switch's voice over the comm.
Tegan averted her eyes from the cable and focused her attention on her HUD. Sure enough, three drones were weaving through the debris field behind her. She turned her craft towards the trio, realizing as she did, she wouldn't make it in time.
"Drop five degrees," Switch said.
Tegan wasted no time gunning the thrusters, bringing her craft into a swift dive. The torpedo bays on Switch's X-71 fighter lit up as the missiles ignited. They rocketed away from the fighter, through the debris field, and slammed into the incoming birds with a blast that lit up the void.
"Thanks for the save," Tegan said, as she pulled back towards the Reliant.
"Get me back in one piece, and we'll call it even."
She smiled at the words but remained silent as she didn't have anything to say. Even after months of her being CAG, they worked well as a team. It was a good thing, considering they still had a long way to go before Switch was in the clear.
Another drone appeared from behind the debris of the Illinois. Tegan turned her controls to bring the craft in her crosshairs, but her fighter refused to make the rapid turn. Instead, the move caused her fighter to buck the other way, opening her port side to the drone. The drone wasted no time sending a volley of fire into her fighter.
Alarms blared as the rounds struck the hull, cracking the cockpit and marring the hull. A blast erupted from one of her port-side thrusters. The explosion ripped off part of the wing, removing another thruster with it.
Well, shit.
A torpedo streaked by her cockpit and slammed into the drone, igniting it in a fireball that was quickly muted by space.
"Thanks again," Tegan said.
"Don't thank me yet. That was my last torpedo."
"Copy." Tegan scanned her HUD to see if any more drones were close. As expected, she was surrounded by them. Hundreds of the fighters buzzed through the combat, dodging lasers and projectiles meant for the capital ships. Most seemed to fly as a unit, likely the ones being controlled by Richards, though some seemed to work on their own. Without getting close, she had no way to tell if they were friend or foe.
Tegan continued her slow flight, bringing Switch out of the worst of the debris. Using her remaining port-side thrusters, she aimed her bird at the Reliant's flight deck.
"You ready for this?" she asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
She pulled back on the throttle, gaining more speed with every moment. "When we get close, I'm going to cut you loose and swing out of the way. Once you’re inside, I'll swing in right behind you."
"Copy." Switch sounded nervous, and rightfully so. Without his thrusters, he would be at the mercy of the flight deck netting. While it had been improved over the years, it was still prone to failure. It was nothing more than a last-ditch measure to save the lives of the pilots and the flight deck crew.
Tegan changed channels, opening a connection with her terminal. "Switch is coming in hot. Prepare emergency netting for his arrival and evacuate all non-essential personnel from the flight deck. You have one minute. CAG, out."
One minute would be pushing it, but it could be done. Ideally, she'd give them more time, but time was something she couldn't spare. Every extra second Switch spent in the void was another second his life was in danger.
Not only that, every additional second she spent in a fighter was a second she wasn't directing the pilots from her station. Her assistants were good, but none of them had the experience she brought to the table.
Tegan eased back on the thrusters, lining up the shot. She only had one chance to make it right. If she was off by more than a few meters in any direction, Switch's bird would crash into the Reliant, likely killing him in the process. Missing further than that would send him sailing off into the void, without an easy way to stop his momentum. Though, to be fair, his chances of survival weren't much better if she lined up everything perfectly.
"Five seconds until release," she said through the comm. This time the channel was open to both her station and Switch's bird.
She counted the seconds down in her head and released the tow cable as she counted to one, then pulled back on her controls to keep from slamming into the Reliant.
Switch's fighter rocketed past her as she made her turn. She couldn't see the result of his landing with her own eyes, but given the lack of chatter over the comm, she assumed everything was fine.
Tegan continued her wide turn until her fighter was in line with the flight deck. This time she approached the opening slowly, not wanting to make things more difficult on her crew than they already were. Losing her port-side thrusters made the last second maneuvers difficult.
She landed on the deck with a jolt. Her head jerked forward then back, slamming into her seat. Stars clouded her vision for a moment but seemed to fade quickly.
Without a moment's hesitation, Tegan slammed her palm against a button, releasing the canopy. She climbed out of her fighter and rushed to Switch's damaged bird. The crew chief was already working to cut the netting free, which would allow the rest of the crew to pull the pilot out of the fighter. She stopped well short of the crews and noticed Switch smiling at her from the cockpit. Blood ran down his nose from a gash on his forehead and was smeared over his cheek, but he looked to be fine.
Tegan pulled off her helmet, smiled at Switch, and gave him a t
humbs-up before collapsing to the floor. Two doctors turned to her and took off at a sprint, only stopping when Tegan raised her hand.
"I'm fine," she said through panted breaths. "More excitement than I've had in months."
Chapter Sixty-Two
New Earth Sector
Bridge, Flagship Koniva
Captain Miller pointed to the nearest flagship on the main viewscreen as klaxons blared on the bridge of Flagship Koniva. "Open fire. Target their communications array. Let's give the rest of our people a fighting chance."
The crew snapped into action, and soon the sickly green beam lanced out from Flagship Koniva and into the nearby flagship. Flames erupted from the impact, sending debris rocketing into the void. Soon, the beam lanced out from the opposite side, catching a Mythrar heavy cruiser in its wake. The second ship exploded soon after.
Cheers erupted from the bridge. Flagship Trintod seemed to lurch from the impact, swinging into the firing lanes of three Mythrar cruisers. The ships failed to halt their fire in time to avoid peppering the flagship with a combination of lasers and mass transfer weaponry.
"Open a channel with the NEC leadership," Miller said, eyes refusing to leave the screen.
"You're on," Robbins said.
And image from the CIC inside New Earth Station appeared on the main screen. At its center was a face he was sure should be gone, but was glad it wasn't.
"You again," Admiral Flannigan said, disgusted. "I suppose you mean to give us another chance to surrender?"
"Not this time," he remarked. "I'm just calling to give you some advice."
"Advice about what? How to destroy your flagships?"
"Precisely." He watched Flannigan's face, sure she was about to cut the comm. He didn't blame her. If he was in her position, he was sure he'd do the same thing. What good reason did he have to give up that information? To him, he wanted his people to be free, but to them, they had to believe he was leading them into a trap. How then, could he word his statement without making her more suspicious? "Your people were onto something when they destroyed the communications array. When you first attacked, I was sure your efforts would be fruitless, but alas, they did more harm to the ship than I could've imagined."
Defiant (The Mythrar War Book 4) Page 19
