Deep Dive: Legacy War Book 5

by John Walker

  Hopefully the Pahxin will have a clue about these places. It would figure if they were out in the middle of some unknown, lost bit of space. “Did you guys see that?”

  “Yes.” Gil smirked. “We have succeeded!”

  “Thank God!” Heat’s shoulders slumped. “Now, to get the hell out of here?”

  “But there are so many questions …” Gil frowned when Cassie quirked her brow at him. “Oh, very well. I suppose you are right. Shall we then?”

  “Just like that?” Cassie asked.

  “Why not?” Gil stepped away. “Terminate connection.”

  Gil faded out until he was no longer there. Heat recoiled. “Are you kidding me?” He turned to Cassie. “He had no idea if that meant what he thought it meant. He could be back on the Gnosis right now or dead for all we know. That was crazy!”

  “What would you have tried?” Cassie couldn’t hide the fact that she was also shaken. “He treated it like a computer. That makes the most sense considering how we typically interact with it … right?”

  “I don’t know.” Heat tilted his head. “I’d defer to you! You’re the damn expert about these things. Jesus Christ!” He paced away. “I … I don’t know.”

  “Gil made it and I’m sure I can too but you’d better at least try before I do or you might get stuck.” Cassie shrugged at his annoyed look. “I’m just being honest.”

  “I love your honesty.” Heat sighed and turned his head high. “Orb!” He shouted.

  “Dude … you don’t have to turn on the drama.”

  “Shut up, I’m doing this my way!”

  “Okay.” Cassie stepped away. “Do what you have to do.”

  “Orb!” Heat repeated. “Terminate connection!” Half a moment passed. “Holy shit!” He winked out of existence, leaving Cassie alone.

  Okay, two down. Cassie peered around the area, staring into the endless expanse of white. The journey had been long, strange even, but the knowledge they acquired, the lock they cracked would change everything. Providing they could build the device to replicate the frequency, teach others to interface with the Orbs, they would unravel several mysteries.

  But first, we save the galaxy from the threat of the Tol’An. Cassie cleared her throat. “Terminate connection.”

  Chapter 10

  Squadron Leader Dennis Arden nearly ran into his peer from a different unit, Anna Jager. They were both en route to the hangar bay when their wings were put on standby. Apparently, the Gnosis would be dropping out of hyperspace at any minute and according to the incredibly fast briefing, they could be attacked.

  “Hey there,” Dennis said. “Always a party around this place, huh?”

  “Never dull at least,” Anna replied. They moved in toward their fighters. “I’ll see you out there. Be careful, Dennis.”

  “Usually am. If you want to impart that on to someone who needs it though, consider telling Officer Quinn. She’s pretty out of control.”

  Anna chuckled. “I don’t know, Alicia might be the best pilot you have. Or at least the one with the biggest balls.”

  “Oh, she’d love to hear you say that.” Dennis boarded his fighter and prepped it for launch. All systems showed green. The rest of his squadron reported in, ready to go. The timer showed they would be leaving hyperspace in just over a minute. It was longer when we got into the hangar. What the hell’s going on?

  “Fighters,” Salina’s voice piped through the tactical line. “Please note that we will be dropping out of hyperspace sooner than expected. I see that you’re all ready for launch. I’ll be calling order the moment we emerge and it’s deemed safe. We’ve gone to battle stations throughout the ship. Thank you for getting ready in such a hurry.”

  Yeah, no problem. Dennis checked the private channel of his squadron. “Everyone still good? Any concerns?”

  “Curious about how we’re suddenly so awesome with hyperspace,” Alicia said, “but otherwise, nah. I’m good.”

  Flight Lieutenant Shane Goring said, “Anything I’d ask about would be academic right now. You think there will be a real force to contend with when we arrive or are we talking a few rogue Tol’An? Full battle or just a skirmish?”

  “The way they’re talking,” Dennis replied, “I’m thinking full scale battle. We should be ready for anything either way. And every fighter’s heading out there. That should tell you something about the odds that we’re anticipating. Cost of dealing with treasonous assholes, I guess.”

  “That the technical term?” Alicia asked.

  “Can it, Quinn.” Dennis shook his head. “I think we need your wit about as much as we need a screen door for the cockpit.”

  “Might make it a little less hot in here,” Lieutenant Hal Brown quipped.

  “Alright, alright, let’s focus a little more and joke around less, okay?” Dennis noted they were dropping out of hyperspace. I’d love to make a couple trips where I didn’t have to sit in my fighter while we left faster-than-light travel. The confined space made re-entry all the more uncomfortable, turning his stomach and causing head pain.

  The ship vibrated, causing the fighter to shake. Zach announced their departure from hyperspace and expressed they indeed were facing enemy starships. Whether the Pahxin allies were on hand to help, that didn’t get related and Dennis’s scanner hadn’t finished capturing outside data to be of any use quite yet.

  Hurry! Dennis willed the computer to speed up. I want to know how bad this is out there, what we’re facing and just how wild this brawl’s about to be.

  ***

  Desmond clenched his fists in the few seconds before they emerged from hyperspace. The viewscreen flickered to life, revealing the chaos of battle. Fighters darted about and capital ships went toe to toe. Energy blasts made shields light up, the blue-green shells flickering in and out as they were hit.

  “Get the fighters out there now,” Desmond ordered. “Shields up. Do you have the Stalwart on scans?”

  “Yes, sir,” Salina said. “They are out there.

  “Get Ulian on the line as soon as you can.” Desmond turned to Dulain. “I hope you can work under a little bit of pressure.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Dulain replied. He clearly struggled not to watch the viewscreen though. Desmond understood why. Witnessing space combat first hand was quite a bit different than reading the reports or watching a simulation. Thinking about everything that could go wrong alone would be enough to impact someone’s nerves.

  The scan report came in and Desmond noted they were up against seven Tol’An ships. There were eight Pahxin vessels in the system, three of which were full-on warships. Two destroyers and three scouts made up the rest of their fleet and they were holding their own against the threat.

  I’m guessing better trained crews helps a lot.

  “Com is established,” Salina announced.

  Captain Ulian Hataran appeared in the lower left-hand corner of the viewscreen, his face etched in a stoic expression. “Welcome, Gnosis,” he said, “though I must admit I’m surprised to see you here so soon. I thought we had agreed upon a much longer time frame. Did something happen?”

  “You have no idea,” Desmond replied. “I’ll tell you about it when this fight is over. How can we help?”

  “We could use you on their flank,” Ulian said. “Fighters and capital ships. Give us some distraction so we can really push them. We figured we’d have plenty of time to push these maniacs back but I’m beginning to wonder if they’ll have reinforcements soon. If your early arrival was part of their plan, then we should make haste.”

  “Understood.” Desmond nodded. “We’re on it and will coordinate with your forces.” He disconnected the com. “Let the fighters know what we need them to do. Zach, put us in position and go weapons free. Hit them with everything we’ve got. You heard Ulian. We have to hurry and get our asses out of here before more of these jerks show up.”

  ***

  Vincent felt the ship leave hyperspace and his heart began to race. His eyes went imm
ediately to Cassie, sweat breaking on his brow. The screen above her bed showed her vitals were still fine but brain activity appeared to increase. He had no idea if that was a good thing or not.

  “What the hell is going on?” Harper slapped her terminal. “Why did we leave hyperspace? This experiment is nowhere near complete! Damn it!”

  “It wasn’t planned,” Vincent replied. “How is … How are they?”

  “I don’t know.” Harper paused. “Yeah, I don’t have a clue.”

  “I do,” Holland interjected. “Look. Agent Alexander is moving.”

  Vincent’s eyes went wide as he stepped closer. Cassie stirred, brow furrowing in a wince. Her eyes fluttered open and she swallowed hard. “Hey …” she muttered. “Where are we? Are we not in hyperspace anymore?”

  “We’re not,” Harper said. “I have no idea what’s going on with the bridge but I’m glad to see you back. We were worried about what might happen while you were under and … well, you know. How do you feel?”

  “Tired …” Cassie looked around. “How is Gil? And Heat?”

  “They seem to be coming around as well,” Holland announced.

  “Good.”

  “Did you … connect?” Harper asked. “Have you made contact with the Orbs?”

  “We did. It was … God, I have quite the report to write.” Cassie blinked several times. “More importantly, we know how to access the Orbs in this way again.”

  “That’s fantastic news!” Harper patted Cassie’s shoulder. “Did you hear that Thayne?”

  “If that’s true, then you have discovered a breakthrough which will change the course of science. Providing, of course, that the interface method is better than our current variety.”

  “Believe me,” Cassie replied. “It definitely is but it’ll take some getting used to. Can I please get up?”

  Holland examined her vitals carefully and nodded. “Yes, you seem to be totally fine, Agent.” He disengaged the table and helped her to sit up. “Let me get you some water. You’re a touch dehydrated after all that. You must’ve gone through some type of exertion that pushed the body, huh?”

  “Again, you have no idea.” Cassie turned to Vincent and smiled at him. “You didn’t happen to wait here the entire time, did you?”

  “It’s … been a little eventful for us too,” Vincent said. The ship shook. “Oh boy. We went to battle stations and it feels like we’re starting something. Will you be okay? I should get to the bridge to help.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Cassie waved for him to go. “Hurry now. I’ll try to join you if these guys will let me.”

  “Thanks …” Vincent gripped her hand for a moment before rushing out of the room and to the elevator. Time to put this mission to bed. I hope we’re up for this final challenge. It would be nice if fate would throw us a bone here at the very end.

  ***

  Alicia Quinn peered at her scanner, noting it came back with a count of forty enemy fighters. The Tol’An really brought some friends to the party. They didn’t bother with so many ships when they attacked Earth. Maybe they finally have some respect for what we’re capable of but I kind of doubt it.

  More likely, they simply brought the numbers they thought would be able to take down the Pahxin fleet sent there to escort the Gnosis. Even so, it didn’t seem to be a strong enough force for the professional military they faced. Having flown with Pahxin pilots, Alicia knew they were damn good at their jobs.

  The zealots, while tenacious and clever, couldn’t stand up to them. They didn’t have the discipline. Their equipment definitely stood on par with their opponents but without the continuous training on how best to put it to use, they were insurgents with rocket launchers. Dangerous, yes, but ultimately ineffective.

  “We’re going to break for combat momentarily,” Dennis called out. He took operational command of the mission, even over Anna and Dimitri Gerrit, the new Squadron Leader of Raptor. “On my mark, engage your targets and let’s make a push for the capital ships. I want a hole big enough for the Gnosis to get through and hit their destroyer.”

  Alicia wondered if the Gnosis planned on fielding their bombers. All the ships were in such close proximity, she sort of doubted it. A stray piece of ordnance held the potential to cause a lot of havoc for both sides. Best to stick to their surgical method: destroy the fighters, let the capital ship do its thing, go home alive.

  “Break!” Dennis shouted.

  It felt like someone detached the leash and Alicia hit her afterburners, plunging headlong toward the enemy. Her wingman was drafted from Raptor, a man named Roman Mallard. He proved to be a decent enough flyer but he leaned toward a by the book mentality. That was somewhat contrary to Alicia’s style.

  Having grown up flying in an air show, she tended more toward fancy, fast maneuvers. Roman couldn’t keep up during simulation practice, no matter how hard he tried. This operation was no exception and he got on her com, complaining loudly about her sudden departure.

  “How are we supposed to back each other up?”

  “Relax,” Alicia said. “Follow my course and mop up what I miss. I’ve got your back, Roman. Have I ever let you down in simulation?”

  “Yes!” Roman grunted. “Remember the time that you used me for bait?”

  “I promised to never do that again,” Alicia replied. “Come on now, I’m about to engage.”

  Two enemy ships turned in her direction, racing to meet her head on. Alicia dipped her chin, finger poised over the trigger. She counted heart beats under her breath, forcing herself to remain calm throughout the charge. A countdown appeared on her HUD, a descending number showing the rapidly plunging distance.

  “And … now!” Alicia pulled the trigger, a combination of mass driving cannons and beam weapons. The one to the left banked and pulled away but the one on the right didn’t react quickly enough, taking the full brunt of her attack. Their shields flared and the front of their ship caught fire, globes of orange spilling out of the hole.

  It began to tumble, firing wildly as it did so. Alicia climbed, banking hard to the left in an effort to avoid their parting shot. Roman cried out, an inarticulate noise which terminated in a lot of profanity. Alicia checked her scanner and noted he was still alive, his ship perfectly intact and operational.

  “You okay?” Alicia asked.

  “Hardly! Did you see what that maniac just tried to do?”

  The enemy ship exploded, debris launching in every direction. “He’s dead now. Relax.”

  “You’re far too casual about all this!”

  Alicia chuckled as she got on her other target’s tail, letting the computer grab a lock. “I get that a lot.” Tone buzzed over the speakers and she fired, grazing their shields as they bucked to the right at the very last second. Wily. A proximity alarm went off. She climbed and rolled, narrowly avoiding another fighter that tried to ram her.

  Leveling out, she dodged an attack and dove under a massive chunk of debris before bursting free into open space again. Alicia engaged her com to speak to all the fighters. “Attention, they’re trying to ram people out here so be careful. I’m not sure how they think it’s a good exchange to pull that shit … but there you go.”

  Alicia glanced over in time to witness Raptor Four, Marge Kingston, eject right as one of the enemy fighters barreled into her side. The two ships exploded but only one of the pilots survived. These guys are nuts! They value the equipment over the flyers. “Roman, let’s link back up.” She tapped her screen and input rendezvous coordinates. “I painted an area.”

  “I’m a little busy,” Roman said, “but I’ll try.”

  Scans indicated he was facing off three enemies. Alicia moved to intercept, engaging her afterburners again. She flew through several mini conflicts, mostly between the Earth fighters and the Tol’An. The Pahxin were on the opposite side of their battlefield, engaged in their own dense conflict.

  She watched Roman pull a flip and dart away from his attackers, sliding around their attacks like it was
easy. The way he grunted and carried on over the com suggested it was not and he put everything he had into the action. “I’m with you,” Alicia announced. “I’ll try to even the odds.”

  Tilting her nose, Alicia fired a missile well out in front of the attackers. The missile sought a lock and started chasing one of them. He broke formation and tried to escape, pushing his ship to full throttle. The Tol’An fighter’s engines glowed as the missile kept after it, gaining ground ever so slightly.

  Alicia ignored that one and directed her attention at the next target. Blasting away with mass drivers, she tried to warn him off. He didn’t react to her attack, instead firing at Roman who immediately climbed to avoid the beams. The blast grazed his shields, but they seemed to hold.

  “These two are serious,” Alicia said, falling in behind the other one. She got tone and fired her beams, this time catching her target directly in the rear. The shields flared, and one of the two engines flickered before going out. “One’s hurt at least.” It veered off and she redirected to the other.

  “I’ve got this!” Roman flipped around suddenly and went head on with the final target. He opened up with all of his weapons, blasting the nose of the target. His opponent did the same, diving just a moment before they collided. The enemy started to smoke then tumbled away. His reactor went up a second later.

  “I’ve got minor damage,” Roman reported. “My left thrusters are acting up.”

  “Okay, we should probably fall back until your automated—” Alicia paused as her computer started warning her. An enemy had her tail and was getting a lock. She spun the ship in a barrel roll, hitting the breaks and dropping low. Her pursuer, the one who had been chased by the missile, flew by overhead. “You little ass!”

  Alicia gave chase, flying into the midst of several other enemies as she gave chase. Firing her weapons, she scored some opportunistic hits but nothing that actually took anyone out. Her focus seemed to be heading back toward his capital ship, fleeing again to avoid the fight.