Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1)

by Shaun Messick

  The Wildcats sat only one pilot and were smaller, modified versions of the NightHawk, which surprised Jake. So much of the Gnol technology was similar to the designs of the Mars Space Shuttles, and other military vehicles on Earth; the difference being, of course, the hover technology that the Gnols possessed, weapons, and other modifications.

  Unfortunately, the fleet was only a fraction compared to the hundred thousand ships and vehicles that were estimated to be in the Gnol fleet. Also, the Terrestrian rebels did not have the Wildcat II, as Ducal named it. The Wildcat II was the same design as the Wildcat but sat two pilots instead of one. In addition, the rebels did not possess the various ground vehicles that the Gnols did: the ground-assault vehicles, which carried ground forces, and the hover tanks.

  Jake finished dressing, grabbed his flight helmet, and jogged to the hangar. The hangar seemed to be in chaos. Military personal and civilians were scrambling everywhere, trying to make their way to where they were supposed to be. Jake spotted Sean, Doc, Kylee, and his father – who must have just awakened after being knocked unconscious from the crash – near the computer terminal area of the hangar.

  “Dad, how are you feeling?” asked Jake, as he embraced his father.

  Adrian hugged Jake with his free right arm. “I’m feeling a little dizzy, but I’m doing fine.”

  “You let me know if you feel any head pain,” Doc said.

  Adrian gave Doc a frustrated look, just as a little boy would his overprotective mother.

  Jake turned his attention to Doc. “How’s Celeste?”

  “She’s recovering in the medical wing. I immobilized her shoulder, and she has had a successful blood transfusion. In a few minutes, I’m going to go back and get her so that we can put her in one of the transport shuttles.”

  “Good,” Adrian said. “Now, how many forces are we dealing with?”

  Sean pointed to the satellite image on the computer monitor. “According to the readout, we’re dealing with twenty ground-assault vehicles, which carry fifty soldiers each, forty nine Chaties, and thirty-five Wildcats.”

  Adrian took a deep breath and looked out across the hangar. “Well, the good news is I don’t think they realize the number of troops we have here, or they would have brought more. The bad news, however, is we don’t have enough aircraft for the number of people here, three of our pilots are already designated to the transport shuttles, Bantyr and Captain Shaonal are missing …”

  Jake noticed the sadness in his father’s eyes.

  “ … That leaves you with only twenty-five pilots including yourself, Jake.”

  Jake nodded and said, “Each transport is crammed with women and children … Dad, did Anyta and Lexis get on one of the shuttles?”

  “Yeah, Anyta protested and wanted to stay and help fight, but I finally forced her on the last one.”

  “Good,” Sean said. “Each shuttle is able to hold two hundred people. We were able to cram two hundred fifty into two of them, and two hundred thirty-one into the third shuttle.” Sean smiled. “We were able to get all of the civilians into the shuttles.”

  Adrian looked surprised. “Great! Okay, the only problem is how do we safely get those shuttles to the second base?”

  “We’ve been looking at that,” Jake said. “According to the radar, they only have thirty-five Wildcats that will be able to attack the shuttles from the air.”

  “What about ground plasma cannons?” Kylee interjected.

  “We’ve accounted for them too,” responded Jake. “Our plan is to launch the forty-eight Chaties we have left—”

  Adrian raised his hand to stop Jake. “Wait. We don’t have enough experienced pilots for the Chaties.”

  Jake nodded. “I know. After we got back and Doc declared me okay, I grabbed forty-eight volunteers and began training them immediately on the Chaties. There wasn’t much room for them to maneuver in the training wing, but they got the basics down.”

  Adrian looked impressed. “Very good. Go on.”

  “Anyway, the plan is to launch the forty-eight Chaties first. Their primary targets will be the sixteen ground plasma cannons located at the various positions as indicated by the satellite readout,” said Jake, pointing to another computer monitor. “It seems, Dad … that whoever the Gnol leader leading this attack is, he has seriously underestimated what technology we have available.”

  Adrian didn’t respond. He just nodded.

  Jake continued. “After the Chaties launch, my squadron will launch to provide cover for the shuttles. Once the shuttles are out, the remaining vehicles we have in the fleet will launch.”

  “Go—” Adrian began to say, but Kylee cut him off.

  “What if the Gnols blast the doors open? We’re going to have debris in the way of the ships taking off.”

  Sean spoke before Jake could answer. “That won’t happen. The only thing that will blast those doors open is a thermonuclear blast, and the Gnols wouldn’t risk losing any of their forces. Their computers must have analyzed that option already.”

  “What happens if they drop explosives in after the doors open?” Kylee asked again.

  Jake looked at his half-sister. He hadn’t gotten to know her at all in the weeks he had been on Terrest. Ever since she had lost her fiancé, she had been quiet and withdrawn. “We’ve accounted for that too,” he said. “Each special ops team is going to surround the walls of the hangar. If anything enters the doors, your orders are to open fire.”

  Kylee scowled at Jake. Adrian noticed. “You will do as you’re ordered, Captain!”

  Kylee quickly shot her father a look and said, “Yes, General.” Then she walked away.

  Jake looked at his father. “What was that all about?”

  Adrian shook his and followed Kylee with his eyes. “I don’t know.”

  “Celeste!” yelled Doc.

  Everyone turned toward the direction Doc looked. Celeste was walking to the group, freshly dressed in green fatigues.

  “Why are you up? And, where’s your sling?” Doc asked with frustration.

  Celeste, who still looked to be in pain, simply looked at Doc and smiled. “I am fine. Besides, I need to be here to help in the battle.”

  Adrian shook his head. “I don’t think so, Your Highness. You’re going to be placed on a shuttle and transported to bas—”

  Celeste raised her hand to keep Adrian from speaking. “Forgive me for interrupting, Adrian, but I can be more use to you here in the battle.”

  “What do you mean? You’re recovering from a serious wound. You’ll only be sure to suffer more,” Doc said, obviously getting frustrated with Celeste.

  Celeste turned and looked at Doc. She smiled and didn’t say a word.

  “What?” Doc asked.

  Celeste just continued to smile. Doc looked around at everyone to see if he had missed the joke. Celeste closed her eyes and slowly raised her right arm with her palm upwards and fingers extended.

  Doc’s body slowly started to rise. He looked at everyone in surprise. Sean, Jake, and Adrian just looked dumbfounded. The military personnel surrounding the group stopped working and looked just as surprised.

  “Woa … okay … okay, you have me convinced!” Doc shrieked as he flapped his arms and legs five feet in the air.

  Celeste slowly lowered Doc back to the floor and opened her eyes.

  Jake looked at Celeste with admiration. He was so drawn to this woman. He noticed that Celeste stole a quick glance at him and smiled. Jake then turned to his father. “Dad, I don’t think you’re going to convince her to get on the shuttle.”

  Adrian, whose mouth was still open, shook his head. “You’re right.” He then focused his attention on Sean. “All right, is everyone ready?”

  Sean nodded. “On your mark, I will open the bay doors.”

  “Good. Celeste, you stay here with me. I will stay until every last vehicle and troop has left.”

  Jake quickly looked at his father. “No!”

  “It’s okay. Major Halem will
lead the troops that are left out of the back entrance. Fifty other troops, me, and Celeste will take the last remaining assault vehicle.”

  Jake was beginning to protest again, but Celeste grabbed his hand. He turned and looked into her eyes.

  “He will be fine. I will not let anything happen to him,” she said.

  Jake wasn’t so sure and tried to protest. “Bu—”

  Celeste put a finger up to Jake’s lips. “Shh.” She looked deep into his eyes. Jake shyly turned away. “Look at me, Jake.”

  Jake slowly turned his gaze to look into Celeste’s bright, blue eyes. She is so beautiful, he thought.

  Celeste continued. “Trust me. I will not let anything happen to him, and that is a promise.”

  Jake felt a little better, especially after seeing what Celeste did to Doc. He managed a smile and nodded. He then turned toward his father. “I will stay in constant radio contact with you.”

  Adrian walked to his son, grabbed him, and squeezed tightly. “Promise me, you will be careful out there, okay. I don’t want to lose another son today.”

  Jake pulled away, smiled, saluted, and said, “Yes, sir!”

  Adrian then turned his attention to Doc, Sean, and Celeste. “Okay, everyone … battle stations! Sean, you and Celeste stay here with me to command the defense. Doc, get yourself and your people onto the last shuttle. I want you to be ready at Base 2 when we have casualties.” Adrian stopped and looked two hundred yards above at the bay doors. “And … we’re going to have a lot.”

  **********

  Bantyr sat with his back against a small tree, his hands and legs bound. He knew the tree was only about five yards away from the artificial ground that covered the bay doors. He saw Dorange, or Don as he knew now, walk to the center of the doors with one of his colonels and kick at an artificial rock. Bantyr wondered if any of the other Gnols knew that Dorange was actually one of the despised humans that Koroan Chast hated so much. He also wondered how he was able to get away with deceiving Koroan all these years. He was tempted to yell out, revealing who Dorange truly was, but he knew that was useless. What Gnol would believe him? It was obvious that Dorange had the respect and loyalty of his subordinates.

  Bantyr strained to listen as he saw that Dorange was about to speak. “So, Colonel … you’re telling me that we can’t blow through these doors?”

  “Yes, that is correct, sir,” the colonel said.

  “I’m sure the rebels know that as well. That’s why I planned a little surprise.”

  “Sir?”

  Dorange looked past the colonel and waved at another Gnol. The Gnol nodded and ran to the back of the rows of vehicles and aircraft. Within seconds, a gigantic hovercraft, larger than any Bantyr had seen before, made its way through the fleet. Bantyr’s eyes widened as it approached Dorange’s position.

  The vehicle was gigantic. The bottom portion was rectangular. Bantyr noticed a window along the front and what looked to be about three Gnols within. Bantyr scanned upwards and saw two monstrous metal arms that extended to what seemed like five hundred feet into the air with claws at each end of the arms.

  When the vehicle reached Dorange’s position, it stopped. The entire bottom portion covered almost the entire surface area of the bay doors, which, Bantyr recalled, were about four thousand square feet each!

  Bantyr tried to examine the craft further, but the hover engines from the vehicle were sending debris his way, pelting his body. He heard Dorange yell. “Colonel, move the prisoner to the prisoner frigate!”

  A few moments later, Bantyr felt two Gnols grab his arms and drag him away from the gigantic monster that was about to rip the bay doors wide open. As the Gnol dragged Bantyr further away, he stole another quick glance at the arms and noticed small protruding segments about every five feet from each other. Oh no! he thought. Plasma cannons!

  **********

  Despite the number of soldiers and rumbling aircraft within the hangar, there was an eerie silence as the entire rebel force sat listening to what was happening two hundred yards above. Adrian turned and gave Sean a confused look. Sean looked back and shrugged his shoulders. Adrian turned his eyes up toward the bay doors. He could hear what sounded like a massive engine rumbling, and metal clashing against metal.

  Out of the corner of his left eye, Adrian saw Celeste slowly make her way to the center of the hangar. “Celeste! Get back here!” he yelled.

  Celeste ignored him.

  Adrian heard what sounded like thunder and jerked his eyes back to the bay doors. He saw two enormous, metallic claws penetrate the center of the doors. Suddenly, he realized what going on. “They’re pulling them apart,” he whispered.

  “What?” shrieked Sean.

  Adrian looked at Sean with fire in his eyes. “They are ripping them apart!”

  Sean cursed.

  “Chati 1 … do you copy?”

  “Yes, General,” replied the Chati squadron leader.

  “As soon as those doors are ripped open, your squadron is to launch and engage your primary targets!”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Adrian continued to watch in horror as the morning sun began to sneak its rays through the penetrated doors. The claws continued to pull the doors further and further apart. Then, without any warning, the clawed arms dropped down to within one hundred feet of the hangar floor.

  “What the …” Sean said.

  “Chaties … engage, now!” Adrian ordered.

  Adrian saw the silver Chaties speed their way up to the surface. All of a sudden, the arms began to fling thousands of red plasma bolts in every direction.

  Adrian yelled as he hit the deck, “All units … open fire! I repeat … open fire!”

  Within the hangar, there were thousands of plasma blasts and explosions as the rebel fleet was nearly depleted within seconds. “Jake … engage now!”

  “Already done, General!”

  Unexpectedly, the plasma blasts and explosions stopped. Adrian and Sean slowly made their way to their feet and looked over the computer monitors. There, in the center of the hangar with her eyes shut and her arms extended, was Celeste. Adrian scanned up and saw what she was doing. “Unbelievable,” he said.

  “This is not right,” Sean said in an eerie tone. “If her father is supposed to be more powerful than this, we’re in trouble.”

  Adrian didn’t respond as he watched Celeste bend the massive arms with her mental powers. Everyone froze and watched in astonishment. The arms continued to bend upwards until they cracked. A loud explosion permeated throughout the hangar. Adrian shot his eyes back to Celeste. She had fallen to the floor, unconscious. “Kylee … get two of your men to Celeste and get her back here with me and Sean,” he said.

  “Yes, General!” Kylee said as Adrian saw her order two of her men to Celeste with a wave of her arm.

  The two soldiers rushed to Celeste, grabbed her by each arm, and dragged her back to the computer terminals. As soon as the soldiers arrived, Sean rushed to her and checked for a pulse. “She’s still alive,” he said.

  Adrian took a deep breath. “Good,” he replied. He then turned his attention to the three transport shuttles. “Shuttle leader … go now!”

  “Roger that!” the shuttle leader replied as two of the shuttles slowly ascended to the exit and sped off.

  “General, this is Shuttle 3. One of our engines was hit in the initial attack.”

  Adrian looked at the last shuttle that his wife, daughter, and Doc were on. A crew of about five soldiers were there, trying to put out a fire at the back of the spacecraft. “Major Ducal, can you fix that?”

  Ducal’s response came back through the communication device in Adrian’s right ear. “That’s a negative, sir. I don’t have any spare spaceship engines lying around.”

  Adrian slammed his fist down onto one of the computer monitors. “Kylee, order three of your men to escort the people on that third shuttle to the medical wing. That should keep them safe … at least for a while.”

  “We hav
e incoming!” Sean shouted as he ran next to Adrian and pointed upwards.

  Adrian looked up as black Chaties swooped down from the hangar entrance. Adrian and Sean hit the deck again. Adrian glanced at Celeste, who was still unconscious. “Open fire!” he screamed.

  The entire hangar was again ablaze with plasma fire and orange fireballs from explosions.

  “This isn’t going so well, Adrian,” Sean said.

  Adrian shook his head. Sean was right. How were they going to get out of this?

  **********

  “Shuttle 1 to Wildcat leader. … I repeat … Shuttle 1 to Wildcat 1. Get them off my tail!”

  Jake heard the pleading of the shuttle pilot within his flight helmet. He turned his head to locate the shuttle. There it was, speeding its way south. Behind it were three Gnol fighters within firing range. “Wildcat 2,” he said. “I repeat … Wildcat 2 … come in.”

  “Sir, this is Wildcat 7. We’ve lost nearly twenty Wildcats so far.”

  Jake cursed. “Wildcat 7, help those Chaties take out the two remaining plasma cannons. I’m going to help Shuttle 1.”

  “Roger that.”

  Jake jerked on his flight stick and felt the G-forces as he banked right. He straightened it out and shot off toward the three Gnols that were chasing the shuttle.

  Suddenly, he saw a gigantic fireball burst on his left side.

  “Shuttle 2 has been hit. I repeat … Shuttle 2, h—”

  Jake strained his neck and saw another large explosion and three Gnol fighters escape from the flames. Jake turned his attention back to Shuttle 1 and felt a deep sadness. No, they wouldn’t. They had to know that the shuttle was full of women and children, he thought to himself, as he gritted his teeth. He then hit his accelerator for more speed.

  “Get them off!” demanded the Shuttle 1 pilot, as one of the Gnol fighters fired. The hot red plasma bolt just missed the right wing as the shuttle pilot banked left.